Striking Isiolo nurses begin getting January salaries

The Isiolo County government has begun paying January salaries and unpaid allowances to striking nurses who had boycotted work for six days.

The nurses were protesting the failure by the county government to honour a deal entered in December 2016 following the suspension of a nationwide strike.

County Secretary Ibrahim Wako confirmed that the January payments have been credited to the nurses’ accounts.

Earlier, some nurses who are paid through Equity Bank or Fosa had received their salaries and this led to the protest by those who had not received their dues.

Mr Wako said the delay in paying service allowances to nurses was caused by delayed communication from the Council of Governors.

“We received a circular on payment of allowances late but the amounts for the months of January and February have been factored in and they will start receiving [them] next week,” he said.

Mr Wako said the delayed disbursement of funds from the national government was to blame for the unpaid salaries.

ASSURANCE

“I want to assure health workers that their salaries are in their bank accounts, the allowances will trickle in starting Thursday to next week depending on their pay points,” he added, urging nurses to resume working.

On Friday last week, about 220 nurses who are members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) downed their tools, paralysing health services in the region, especially at Isiolo County Referral Hospital.

The strike led to the closure of the maternity wing and the paediatric department.

Other crucial departments were also adversely affected, forcing clinical officers to attend to patients only at the out-patient and casualty sections.

Knun Isiolo Branch Secretary Lewis Miriti confirmed that the nurses have been paid, adding that arrears have been factored in the February pay slip.