News

Ruling on contempt case against nurses officials Monday

seth

Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary-general Seth Panyako at a media briefing in Nairobi last week. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Governors have returned to the High Court seeking to have nurses’ union leaders committed to civil jail for six months as the strike enters the third week.

In the case set for hearing today, the Council of Governors (CoG) wants the union leaders cited for contempt of court after they defied an earlier ruling that suspended the strike from February 5 in favour of mediation.

The CoG wants 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 arrested for failure to call off the strike.

“(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.

Nurses have been on strike from February 4 to press for allowances and promotion.

The strike has affected 12 counties with 10 others — Murang’a, Tana River, Nakuru, Siaya, Kakamega, Narok, Makueni, Bomet and Busia — planning to join it today.

Nurses at Mathari mental hospital, the spinal injury hospital, blood bank, and airport, which all operate under the Ministry of Health, are also on strike.

Uasin Gishu and Isiolo nurses are also set to down their tools tomorrow and on Wednesday respectively as the standoff persists. On February 5, the Employment and Labour court issued an order restraining the union from taking part in “an unprotected strike or any form of industrial action.”

The court ordered the union to take part in conciliatory talks between the Salaries and remuneration commission, the Ministry of Health and CoG which was set up by Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani.

Mr Yattani appointed Harun Mwaura, Abisai Abenge of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), and Benson Okwaro of the Confederation of Trade Unions (Cotu) as lead conciliators in the pay talks.

Last week President Uhuru Kenyatta said that it was unlawful for the nurses to continue with a strike that the Industrial Court had suspended.