Amid his calls for a nationwide nurses’ strike, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General Seth Panyako is a man under siege.
The official, who on Sunday issued a one-week ultimatum to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to implement the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed in 2017 by the union, said that delayed implementation of the agreement leaves the nurses no choice but to join the striking doctors.
“We have no trust in the government. It must work as a joined institution ... I am afraid that this government is letting us down,” he said a statement.
“We are being forced to communicate salary changes to our members by a government that has not consulted us, which paints us in a bad light,” he added.
Last week, the Registrar of Trade Unions received a petition seeking to remove Mr Panyako from his position, the national executive committee, and the governing council.
The petitioners— Mueni Mwikya, Joseph Mwendwa, Bosire Ogeti, Everlyne Webwa, Francisca Mulei and Caroline Kanana—said this would pave the way for a caretaker committee and subsequent free, fair and credible elections.
“The entire membership of KNUN wants the dissolution of the office of SG, national executive council (NEC), and national governing council (NGC) for being in office through an irregularly conducted election in 2021,” the petition reads.
Other accusations against Mr Panyako include raising the monthly membership fee from Sh600 to Sh1,000 without members’ input and removing pioneer members from leadership positions for holding different opinions .
The petitioners add that all available internal mechanisms to resolve the wrangles in KNUN have been exhausted.
Responding to the allegations, Mr Panyako said: “The government knows that they are fighting me because I have refused KNUN to go on strike. Do you think they can listen to them?” he asked. “The petitioners are foolish to imagine government can help them hound me out and if they dare protest police will arrest them all.”
According to Mr Panyako, it is impossible for the government to remove him since he is “protected by the International Labour Organisation convention No. 135, which emphasises the importance of trade union independence and non-interference by government agencies”.
But according to Mr Dennis Nkarichia of Mohammed Muigai LLP, the Registrar of Trade Unions has the power to intervene in the management and operations of trade unions when members prove that internal mechanisms for resolving disputes have failed.
