Striking Nandi County nurses ordered back to work

Go back to work or we’ll fire you, striking Nandi County health workers have been warned.

County Secretary Francis Ominde and Chief Health Officer Dr. Edward Serem have directed the striking workers to resume duty by Saturday saying the strike is illegal.

The nurses had downed their tools to protest the delay in the payment of their salaries, and the industrial action has effectively paralyzed healthcare in public hospitals.

Ominde has asked the over 850 medics to return to work unconditionally citing that they will get their two months’ salary arrears starting  Wednesday next week.

According to Ominde, the nurses had issued a strike notice to down their tools on the August 26 but they had already begun the strike on August 18.

This comes a week after Kiambu health workers downed their tools protesting over delayed pay and they vowed to stay away from their workstations despite hundreds of patients flocking to the facility with no assistance.