Kenyan nurses demonstrating. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Nurses who have been on strike for 43 days have petitioned President Uhuru Kenyatta to stop his campaigns and address their grievances.
Led by the acting Kenya National Union of Nurses Chair, Joseph Ngwasi they said the government was not keen on addressing the strike.
The over 26,000 nurses have maintained that it will boycott work until their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is implemented.
They say the national government is not justified to detach itself from the ongoing nurses’ strike and accused both national and county governments of playing a blame game which is hurting the health sector as the strike entered the 43rd day.
The nurses have at the same time warned that the strike will fuel more casualties in the disease outbreaks being reported in several parts of Kenya.
They have vowed to stay away from work until their pay deal is signed.
Last month, the Council of Governor’s chair Josphat Nanok called on the nurses to resume duty saying negotiations that began in December are still on course.
Nanok noted that the negotiating parties between the nurses union and the joint national and county governments already have a draft CBA ready which has already been forwarded to the SRC for guidance.
The draft CBA according to the COG proposes an upward of 40 billion shillings over and above what was approved in the return to work formula.
Services in public hospitals across the country remained paralyzed as the nationwide nurses strike bites.