[SRC Chair Sarah Serem in a past event. Kisii nurses on Wednesday waged a mock burial of Serem and CoG’s chair Josephat Nanok. Photo/Nation]
Nurses allied to the Kenya National Union of Nurses today staged a mock burial for Council of Governors' chair Josephat Nanok and Salaries and Remuneration Commission chair Sarah Serem in a show of anger over the government's failure to sign their CBA.The health workers chanted songs and waved placards as they carried two coffins mounted with photographs of the governor and SRC boss in a demonstration that brought business in Kisii Town to a standstill.
Union officials led by chair Fredrick Oigo, secretary general Mr Moses Rianga and his deputy Eric Rioba led the procession while singing dirges and chants lamenting the death of the dignitaries.
"Lipa kama tender! Tuwekee pesa kwa gunia!" (Pay us like you paid for the health tenders! Pay us in sacks!), the workers chanted as they marched through the town.
Mr Rioba called on Health CS Cleopa Maillu to resign for failure to resolve the nurses' CBA statemate.
He singled out Dr Maillu for criticism, terming the government's decision to appoint him as the committee chair for the late Security CS Joseph Nkaissery "hypocritical and in bad taste".
"We are dismayed that the government would choose to appoint the man who has overseen the death of the health sector to head the late Nkaissery's funeral committee. His continued stay in charge of the ministry is a reflection of the tragedy that has become the government's unwillingness to fulfill pledges made to health staff," said Mr Rioba.
The protesting nurses vowed to continue with the strike until the state signed their collective bargaining agreement.
"Our strike is a legitimate and justified protest against the government's casual and insensitive treatment of nurses, who are overworked, underpaid and neglected. We shall not be cowed from our resolve to secure better working conditions," said Mr Rioba.
The health staff occasionally prostrated themselves in the street, singing funeral songs and wailing as they mourned the demise of Mr Nanok, Dr Nanok and Ms Serem.
The striking nurses marched to the county government headquarters where enforcement officers locked the gates to prevent them from accessing the governor's office.
The nurses vowed to remain on strike until the CBA was signed.
Striking health workers begun their procession from Gusii Stadium, marching through the town streets to mark the 38th day of industrial action.
They demanded that the county government harmonizes their terms and conditions and terms of service.
So far, several facilities have been closed across the region as the county grapples with the adverse effects of the strike which has crippled the health service delivery system.
"We cannot work under the oppressive terms of service that we had eliminated in the CBA that the government committed itself to sign during our negotiations. Its signing and subsequent implementation terms remains our priority as nurses," said KNUN Treasurer Ms Jane Midogo.
Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire yesterday backed the nationwide nurses’ strike as a legitimate act to secure better terms and conditions of service.
He said nurses were justified in going on strike due to ‘Jubilee's culture of fake promises repetitively made by the government over their pay’.
Speaking to the Nation, the legislator who is also the ODM national treasurer and Gusii region Nasa presidential campaign coordinator, called on the nurses not to be swayed by what he termed “false promises by Jubilee that will never see the light of day”.
He accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of workers even in the face of the harsh economic times that Kenyans were facing.
“We have reached a point where we conclude that Jubilee government is totally blind to the plight of the citizens’ suffering. Instead of liberating the people from poverty, hopelessness and illiteracy, this regime is only interested in lengthening its stay in power at all costs,” said Mr Bosire.
He accused the government of engaging in mere public relations at the expense of handling critical issues in the CBA crisis.
“This government is good at public relations gimmicks and has previously deceived doctors and teachers. I support the nurses’ demand for their rights because Ju
Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital has discharged most of its admitted patients as they cannot be given round the clock attention by doctors and clinical officers who are still on duty.