Kisumu County to hire 210 as nurses strike bites on

Kisumu County Government has announced plans to recruit 210 nurses on contract in the next six days in a bid to lessen the effects of the ongoing countrywide nurses’ strike.

According to the Deputy Governor, Mathew Owili, the new nurses will be posted at the Kisumu County Hospital and  the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

“We have tried to negotiate with the nurses but to no avail. Our people are suffering and that is why we have decided to salvage the situation. The newly-recruited nurses will be on a three-month contract,” Said Mr. Owili.

‘Illegal strike’

The Council of Governors Chairperson, Josphat Nanok, has since issued a directive for all governors to sack all nurses who according to the council “are engaging in an illegal strike” that has stretched to over three months now.

On 21st September, the Nakuru County government announced its plans to recruit 300 nurses in a bid to lessen the effects of the ongoing strike by nurses and clinical officers.

Other counties in the country that have started making plans to hire new nurses include Kirinyaga and Muranga.

Nurses’ hard-line stance

The Kenya National Union of Nurses has maintained that the ongoing national strike by nurses will continue until their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is officially registered in court and implemented.

The union Secretary General, Seth Panyako, is accusing the county and national governments of lacking the goodwill to resolve the stalemate.