Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria on Friday proposed passing a law that would have slect professionals banned from going on strike.
Speaking during funeral service of Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki’s mother, Kuria stated that Parliament ought to pass legislation that would ban medics and teachers as well as pilots from engaging in industrial action.
“Kitu kama afya, mambo ya elimu, mambo kama ya wale watu wanaendesha ndege, tuweke sheria huko bunge Bwana Spika hao watu tuseme hawawezi kugoma, (Things like health, education and pilots, we enact laws in Parliament Mr. Speaker so that those people cannot go on strike),” he declared.
Kuria’s remarks came in the backdrop of a three-week long nurses’ strike that paralysed operations in most government and county hospitals across the country, demanding for better pay and working conditions.
The nurses have been demanding an annual increase of Ksh 5,000 on the uniform allowance, Ksh 3,000 on nursing allowance in the first year and Ksh 3,500 in the two subsequent years as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed with the government on November 2, 2017.
The controversial legislature also rebuked the importation of eggs and fish from China and Uganda claiming that it was affecting local farmers.
“Tuangalie hali ya mwananchi wa kawaida, juzi nimeongea mambo ya kuleta mayai, kuku, samaki kutoka China na Uganda. Wengine wakasema ati mi namchapa ndugu yangu Mheshimiwa Munya, hapana, hata kama ni ndugu yangu, ama dadangu nitasema vile vile, maana watu wetu wako na shida.Unataka kuniambia hapa Tharaka Nithi hatuwezi kuweka kuku ikataga mayai ndio tulete kuku kutoka China?”
(Let us look into the welfare of the common man, I recently spoke about the importation of eggs, chickens, and fish from China and Uganda and some thought I was fighting Munya (Trade and Industrialisation CS), no, you want to tell me we can’t rear chickens that lay eggs for us to import chickens from China?) He posed.
Kuria also urged the mourners to support his presidential bid, stating that he was confident of winning and ending up at State House.
On February 4, the Gatundu MP surprised Kenyan when he announced that he would be vying for the presidency in 2022 with his deputy as either ODM leader Raila Odinga, DP William Ruto or Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana.