Promote us or we go on strike, Vihiga nurses tell county

Nurses protest outside Afya House in Nairobi on September 11, 2017 during their nationwide strike. Nurses in Vihiga County have threatened to go on strike if the county does not promote them. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The nurses say the county has frustrated their demands for promotions, despite them cooperating with the government.

Patients in Vihiga County are staring at a tough Christmas holiday after local officials of the nurses’ union issued a strike notice.

The nurses said their quest for promotions had been delayed, making them overstay in one job group.

STRIKE NOTICE

In its notice dated December 14, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) in Vihiga said members would boycott work on December 24 if their demands are not met.

The notice was addressed to County Secretary Francis Ominde and copied to Governor Wilber Ottichilo and Health Chief Officer Lucy Ijai.

Vihiga Knun Secretary Caleb Maloba said the county's administration had frustrated demands for promotions.

"Despite the efforts and cooperation offered to the government by the union and its members, the [county] government has failed to address our concerns leading to a stalemate," said Mr Maloba.

Nurses had earlier gone on a nationwide 151-day strike from June 5 to November 2, which left health services paralysed across the country for the five months.