Meru health workers threaten to strike over promotions

Health workers' union leaders in Meru County have threatened to call a strike if they are not granted an audience with Governor Kawira Mwangaza to discuss delayed promotions.

Officials from the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT) and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) said efforts to meet with the governor had been frustrated by her handlers.

This, they said, has led to the rejection of their proposals to allocate funds in the 2023/3034 budget for promotions and replacement of retired and deceased workers.

“During the campaigns, Governor Mwangaza implored us to terminate a strike, promising to ensure money was allocated for promotions.

However, since she was elected, our attempts to secure a meeting with her have failed. On Wednesday, we were thrown out of the office," said KNUN Meru chairperson Mugambi Bakari.

During the budget process, the unions had demanded the promotion of more than 900 nurses, clinical officers and doctors who had stagnated for up to 16 years.

But the county assembly postponed the promotions to the 2024/2025 financial year, citing the high wage bill, which would cost about Sh183 million. 

The pharmaceutical technologists also demanded Sh12.7 million for the promotions.

Mr Bakari said if they did not get the governor's ear, all health workers would boycott work and gather at the county headquarters to demand her audience.

Health workers

"The workers will visit the county headquarters once a week to confirm from her whether they will be promoted or not," he said. 
Kuco branch secretary-general Moses Baiyenia said more than 300 health workers have retired over time, leaving some hospitals with serious staff shortages.

"There are 67 facilities with only one nurse and no more than 30 health centres have a clinical officer. This has left many of us overworked because they are alone in their stations. Some of the nurses diagnose, dispense medicines, take care of patients and clean the health centre. Some of us are now considering securing jobs elsewhere where our services are valued," said Mr Baiyenia.

The shortage and demotivated staff were driving patients away from public hospitals, he said. 

Meru County Secretary Kiambi Atheru said the county executive was aware of the health workers' demands but was unable to address them until a payroll audit was completed. 

"We are aware that health workers need promotions, but we urge them to give us some time to audit the wage bill. Currently, 51 per cent of the budget goes into paying salaries and we have started an audit that will look into ghost workers, unnecessary employment by past regimes and fake academic papers," said Mr Atheru.

He said the wage bill audit would be completed in three months.