Nurses in Tharaka-Nithi strike demanding July salaries

Nurses in Tharaka-Nithi County on Monday morning downed their tools demanding to be paid their July salaries.

Speaking to Nation.co.ke by phone from Magutuni Sub-County Hospital in Maara Constituency, Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Tharaka-Nithi branch chairperson Fabian Marigu said the workers will resume duty once paid.

Mr Marigu accused the county government of failing to adhere to the agreement entered into in 2015 which stated that all payment should be done by the 30th of every month, failure to which a prior notice on the cause of delay must be given.

“We agreed that payment should be done by 30th every month but the earliest we have been paid is 10th of the following month,” said Mr Marigu.

SEEK SERVICES ELSEWHERE

Knun branch secretary Kenneth Micheni asked patients to seek services in private hospitals or the neighbouring Meru County until the Tharaka-Nithi government pays the health workers.

“Let patients not waste time going to any public health facility in the county because there is no one there to attend to them,” said Mr Micheni.

Contacted, county health chief officer Walter Mugambi said the delay was as a result of a technical hitch on the integrated financial management information system (Ifmis).

“We still urge the nurses to give us more time as the Ifmis team in Nairobi sorts out the matter,” said Mr Mugambi.

A spot check by the Nation at Chuka County Referral Hospital confirmed that no services were being offered and the few nurses who had arrived were consulting in groups.