Muthomi Njuki makes about-turn, rehires 96 nurses
Iriuko ria Ng'ombe dispensary is one of the health facilities that had been left without staff in Tharaka-Nithi County after the governor refused to rehire 96 nurses hired by his predecessor. In an about-turn, Governor Muthomi Njuki on May 1, 2018 rehired the nurses, promising to make them permanent by end of the year. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The county boss rehired the nurses after eight dispensaries were closed for lack of nurses.
- The affected dispensaries are Kathwana, Gaketha, Makanyanga, Gaceeraka, Njoguni, Matagatani, Iriuko ria Ngombe and Weru.
- The nurses had been hired by his predecessor at the height of the health workers strike on a one-year contract.
- Governor Njuki has still vowed to weed out excess workers in the health department.
Tharaka-Nithi County Governor Muthomi Njuki has been compelled to rehire 96 nurses sent home last week after their one-year contracts ended.
The county boss, who had vowed not to retain the workers citing a bloated wage bill, changed his mind after the closure of eight dispensaries for lack of nurses.
Addressing journalists at his home in Rubate village, Mr Njuki said the 96 have been rehired on a one-year contract but would be employed permanently by end of the year if the county will be having enough funds.
"I have reconsidered bringing back the nurses in order to have services resume in the facilities that had been closed following their sacking," Mr Njuki said on Tuesday evening.
The affected dispensaries are Kathwana, Gaketha, Makanyanga, Gaceeraka, Njoguni, Matagatani, Iriuko ria Ngombe and Weru.
But the county governor still vowed to weed out excess staff in the department he insists is bloated.
"We have very many support staff in the health sector and I am going to immediately commence staff rationalisation," he said.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses county chairman, Fabian Marigu, lauded the decision by the governor noting that services will resume in the eight dispensaries as they wait hiring of more nurses and other health staff.
"With the rehiring of the 96, there is still a shortage of 200 nurses and we expect 60 to retire by the end of the year," said Marigu.
The governor asked residents to embrace the village dispensaries to end overcrowding at Tharaka and Magutuni sub-County hospitals and Chuka County Referral Hospital.
