Governors countrywide given up to next Monday to pay nurses’ salaries.

 The Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako addressing the press in Kisumu today where he has told all the Governors to pay the Nurses salaries by Monday next week-Photo By  Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

  

 August 8, 2019.

Governors countrywide given up to next Monday to pay nurses’ salaries.

ALL the Governors across the country should pay the nurses within their counties by next Monday, the Kenya National Union of Nurses has said.

The Union’s General Secretary Seth Panyako has said all the Governors must ensure that the nurses working within their counties’ health facilities are paid latest next Monday by 5:00 pm.

Addressing the press after attending a requiem mass at Saint Joseph Mlimani Catholic Church for the Union’s Kisumu Branch Vice Chairman Ferdinand Ongeri who was murdered two weeks ago, Panyako said only 12 counties have paid the nurses their salaries.

He said the counties include Garisa, Nairobi, Kajiado, Kwale, Kakamega, Kiambu, Mandera, Tana River, Turkana,Bungoma, Wajir and Kisii, adding that Kakamega County has just paid its nurses salary today.

Panyako said the remaining 33 counties should pay the nurses salaries by the close of the day’s business on Monday next week.

He said those Counties which will not pay the nurses by that day will be in for a rude shock, adding that operations within the public health facilities will be paralyzed in those counties.

“Any county which will not pay by Monday next week by 5:00 pm will meet with the union because we will mobilize our members not to take part in their jobs and operations will greatly be paralyzed,” Panyako said.

He said there is 50 percent of the Budget which by now should be realized to be used by counties for recurrent expenditures and emergency purpose whenever there is a stalemate on the issue of budget.

“We have decided as Unions representing the workers under the county Government that we will declare that from Tuesday next week, it will not be business as usual,” Panyako added.

He said the Unions namely Kenya Union of Civil Servants, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union, the Kenya National Union of Nurses among others have agreed on this matter.

He said Governors should pay for the Nurses salaries because it is the members of the public who seek health services in public health facilities who will suffer greatly and not the Governors.

“Most of the Governors when sick are not treated in Kenya here so they don’t know what the public are going through in public hospitals. They should pay the nurses Salaries failure to which all things will be grounded,” Panyako further added.

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