Nakuru health workers strike over job contracts, salary arrears

Health workers hired on contract by Nakuru County on Monday started a strike in a demand for salary arrears and a review of their employment terms.

Medics including clinical officers, nurses and laboratory technicians, who numbered at least 500, stormed Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s office led by their chairperson Emerveline Andaro.

Waving placards with words such as “Punda Amechoka (The donkey is tired)”, they said they are tired of being misused and working in a risky environment, in a county that pays no attention to their recurrent grievances.

Dozens of health workers employed under the Universal Health Coverage programme said they have not been paid for the last six months. Others said their contracts are for just four months.

“Since we were employed in 2016, we have remained in contracts that are not straightforward. We have suffered and struggled to ensure patients are well taken care of but the employer does not show any appreciation,” Ms Andaro said.

A health worker at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital said, “The contracts vary in terms of period and salaries. Worse is that they do not come with allowances so if you fall sick in the line of duty, you cater for the bills on your own. It is terrible.”

No honour

Another medic said the majority have contracted Covid-19 and are isolating at home, putting their families at risk.

“When people see us in uniforms, doing rounds in the wards and attending to the sick, they think we are comfortable and have high salaries. During the pandemic, some of us have fallen sick and have been forced to share wards with members of the public, which is disheartening. The county government should act appropriately,” the health worker said.

Ms Andaro said they have written several letters to the department yet there has been no response.

She said the workers presented a petition to the county assembly, demanding a change from contractual to permanent employment terms since the bill o this matter was passed two months ago.

“A period of 60 days was given for the county to improve the terms. The period expired on December 7 but we are still stuck and do not know our fate as county officials are yet to give the way forward,” she said.

Salaries matter

Regarding salaries, the health workers say they have not received their pay slips since 2016, when the first group was employed.

Another group that was employed in 2018 said its members have been receiving halved salaries since May the same year, without any explanation.

“We cannot access soft loans because none of us has ever received a pay slip. We operate as casual laborers in farms,” one of the health workers said.

In a recent statement, Governor Kinyanjui said Nakuru is among the few counties that have met at least 90 percent of health workers' demands.

The governor also noted that his administration has dedicated a Covid-19 facility with 64 beds at the Provincial General Hospital - Annex to the treatment of health workers.

“We have met hospital bills for medical staff who contracted Covid-19,” he said.

No PPE

Governor Kinyanjui further said the medics’ complaints have been considered and obligations of the national government and the county specified.

But the health workers refuted his report, saying they have only received face masks and that they lack proper personal protective equipment.

“Some of us work in isolation facilities so our health is very much at risk since we lack the important gear,” Ms Andaro said.

The medics said they will remain on strike until all their issues are resolved.

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