On February 13th,President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered all nurses to return to work or face dismissal by the county government and health ministry
After breaking the law, court has pardoned Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary-General Seth Panyako and two other officials who had been found guilty of contempt.
The three were found guilty of this offence for failing to call off the nurses’ strike despite being directed to do so.
The government filed the contempt case on February 15 after KNUN members failed to return to work as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At the time, Mr Panyako maintained the strike would go on and said he had no powers to call it off since it had been called by the unions in the counties.
Mr Panyako and the two other officials were asked to appear in court in person on Tuesday for their punishment to be stated.
Justice Abuodha pardoned them but warned that they would be punished in future if they disregarded court orders.
Panyako insisted that they have only suspended the strike to pave way for the ongoing reconciliation with governors but have not called it off altogether.
He warned that no one is above the law in Kenya.“Even the president is not above the law. You cannot wake up and fire the employees,” said Panyako.