Empty beds at the female ward at the Kajiado County Referral Hospital. All patients who had been admitted were discharged to seek services elsewhere due to the ongoing nurses strike/KNA
The ongoing nurse’s strike in Kajiado County has paralyzed health services at the Kajiado Referral hospital and all county government health facilities in the region.
Patients seeking services at the public hospitals have been forced to go to private hospitals with those who had been admitted discharged to seek services elsewhere.
Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) organising secretary Stephen Rutere said the strike, which commenced on March 7 would continue until all their demands are met.
Speaking in Kajiado town after attending a meeting with the Ministry of Labor officials, Rutere accused the county government of not honoring the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed last year with nurses being forced to continue working under unfavorable conditions.
He said the county government was not serious about resolving the standoff as they had not sent any representative to the meeting.
“I am calling on all our members to stay put; the strike will still continue until all our demands are met. We are not going to relent until the county government honors the CBA,” he said.
Kajiado County KNUN Branch Secretary Wilson Leala noted that statutory deductions were being deducted from their salaries but not remitted to the respective entities for over 17 months.
He added that nurses who were promoted in 2023 had only received their promotion letters but their pay slips are yet to be updated.
Leala further accused the county government of intimidating and threatening the striking nurses with transfers and show cause letters and called on their members not to relent but continue advocating for their rights.
“As we speak some of our members have received transfers and show cause letters for demanding for our rights. I want to urge them not to relent until all our demands are honored,” he maintained.
