Nyeri nurses call off strike after talks with county govt

Nyeri nurses on Tuesday called off their week-long strike following day-long deliberations with the county government.

This comes a day after the county Governor Mutahi Kahiga threatened to sack the striking nurses if they failed to return to work.

Speaking after the meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Nyeri Branch Secretary General Beatrice Nduati said all the nurses will report back to work on Wednesday.

According to Ms. Nduati, the return-to-work formula indicated that they will wait for guidance from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) with the deputy governor taking lead in following up the issue.

“We have agreed to call off the strike to ease the pain that our patients are going through. Therefore nurses will go on duty immediately, and not later than tomorrow 7:30a.m,” said Ms. Nduati.

“We are happy to go back and to continue working with the governor who has been a friend and a mentor in the union.”

Governor Kahiga also went back on his threat to sack the nurses saying nobody will be fired as a result of the industrial action. He added that, as a county, they have made budgetary provisions but will wait for the SRC guidelines on the matter.

The county chief, however, lamented the huge wage bill the county is facing saying, in as much as the county wants all its employees happy, “it is difficult with the limited resources.”