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Marsabit, Taita nurses snub union over strike

SETH

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) secretary-general Seth Panyako. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Majority of Marsabit and Taita Taveta County nurses are yet to report back to work a day after union leaders called off strike that paralysed services in parts of the country from February 4.

Taita Taveta, which has a total of 370 nurses, had a majority participating in the strike with only 84 back to work according to a status report by the Council of Governors (CoG).

Hospital admissions have been minimised in the two counties to critical cases with referral and sub county hospitals being manned by management staff, clinical officers and doctors, the governors say.

Marsabit County, which has a total of 322 nurses, is still experiencing the strike with 288 nurses opting to stay away from their work stations. The county has since ordered payroll managers to stop salary for some 205 nurses.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) secretary-general Seth Panyako, his deputy Maurice Opetu, interim chairman John Gwasi and assistant general secretary Asha Ali Ido are set to appear today for contempt of court charges despite calling off of the strike last weekend.

In the case, the Council of Governors (CoG) wants the union leaders punished after they defied an earlier ruling that suspended the strike from February 5 in favour of mediation.

“(It is our prayer) that the respondents be summoned to court forthwith to show cause why they should not be committed to civil jail... be detained in prison for a period of six months or such a period that the court may please,” reads the court order in part.

The union leaders had for the last two weeks denied receiving an order restraining the union from taking part in “an unprotected strike or any form of industrial action.”

In a fresh twist, Mr Panyako urged nurses to report back to work saying he only received the order last Thursday. Governors, through their chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, however, said nurses were issued with a court order suspending the strike for 60 days on February 5, which was served to the union officials.