Striking Kilifi nurses now get their allowances

The Kilifi County government has started paying allowances to striking nurses, eliciting hopes that services will resume in public hospitals that had been deserted because of the work boycott.

In a press conference at the Kilifi County Hospital, chief officer in charge of Health Timothy Malingi confirmed that payments had been sent to the nurses after a one month delay which led to a protest by the nurses on Tuesday.

He said the delay in paying the nurses’ service allowance was caused by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) which did not give direction on how to release the money in time.

“Normally the allowances are included in the salaries and SRC is the only commission that has been mandated to give directions on how the money is to be paid.

“Understandably, the nurses were to get their allowances by January 31 according to the agreement with their union leaders.

“However, because of the delayed directions by SRC, the payments were not made. That, I understand, is what led them to down their tools and protest on Tuesday.

“As we speak now, the allowances are in their bank accounts,” he said.

NO PAYMENT CODE

Dr Malingi said although the agreement was effective in December 2016, they could not release the money because the payment code for their allowances was sent to the county on February 2, 2017.

He said all nurses including county health workers who are qualified for promotion will be considered, adding that the delay in promotions was caused by failure by some of them to submit their documents in time which forced the process to take more time.

“The nurses are the ones who have delayed the promotion process because they have not been able to attach all required documents,” he said.

Dr Malingi said that in 2015, the Health department promoted 630 county health workers out of 1,200, adding that in the pending promotions, the cases will be evaluated on individual basis.

He said 150 health workers, who include 23 nurses, are expected to be promoted.

He said another group of 56 nurses are awaiting evaluation.

He added that the nurses will sign an agreement with the county government for them to resume work.

On Tuesday, more than 500 nurses who are members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) held a protest over what they said was failure by health officials to honour some of the agreements they entered into in 2016.

“This protest is purely to tell the governor, who is our county CEO, that we are tired and all the promises that his officers in the Health department gave to us never materialised,” said Kilifi Knun branch secretary Evans Ogato.