Panyako accused of playing politics with KNH nurses

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General Seth Panyako has been accused of politicising the matter of the welfare of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) worker.

The accusations came after he was arrested on Monday for allegedly inciting nurses at the hospital to participate in a protest.

POLITICS

Albert Njeru, Secretary-General of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospital Workers (Kudheiha), alleged on Wednesday that Mr Panyako is out to destabilise the union by trying to ‘play politics’ with the nurses at KNH.

Mr Njeru claimed his counterpart has a bone of contention with KNH management and is now trying to hit back by meddling in the affairs of nurses, whom he said legally belong to Kudheiha.

“We would like to advise our brother that KNH workers don’t need politics. We have information that Mr Panyako has a bone of contention with the KNH management. Politics aside, let us stop disrupting services at the hospital as the workers are well covered and represented in this union,” said Mr Njeru.

He said support staff at the hospital, especially the nurses, belong to Kudheiha, and accused Mr Panyako of "wanting to poach our members".

“We wish to remind the KNUN Secretary- General that he was once a member and also the chief shop steward under the same union, which he now refers to as a domestic workers’ union. We therefore wonder; is it now that he has realised the union does not represent nurses?”

PAST CASE

Mr Njeru said this is not the first time KNUN has tried to interfere in matters of KNH workers, noting that in 2016, the union took the hospital management to court but that it lost the case.

“Justice Lady Maureen Onyango ruled that KNUN stops inciting KNH nurses and disrupting essential services, and that it follows the due process of the law,” he said.

Mr Njeru noted that the support staff umbrella union incorporates the medical chapter, hospitals and allied workers, with the exception of doctors only.

The union has a recognition agreement with the KNH board of management that was signed on November 13, 1996 and revised on April 16, 2014 to cover all unionisable workers from job group K6 to K17.

“You represent the county government while we represent the national hospital workers,” said Mr Njeru.