‘Your letter is provocative and extremely insensitive,’ nurses tell SRC boss

Kenyan nurses are up in arms after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) criticized Machakos County for payment of special allowances in the advent of COVID-19.

Also Read: All Machakos health workers to receive Ksh.5K to Ksh.20K extra allowance

According to Alfred Obengo, who is the President of the National Nurses Association of Kenya, health workers are working abnormal hours in an abnormal situation, combating an abnormal disease.

“I’m rather convinced that we may not be living in the same country with the Chairperson of SRC.  Your letter is not just provocative, but extremely insensitive, to say the least,” he said.

SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich had written to Governors after the Machakos County Government introduced special allowances ranging from between Ksh.5,000 to 20,000 as a boost for health workers.

Mengich was adamant that due process was not followed as the SRC was not consulted, terming the move as illegal and likely to cause inequity across the health sector.

She further faulted Machakos County Government saying funds announced for the allowances could have instead be used to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

However, Obengo who is also the spokesperson for the Kenya Health Professionals COVID-19 Mitigation Team, rubbished the statement from the commission saying the country is entering a critical stage in the war against COVID-19.

“We remain the frontline warriors in this deadly war. While we (health workers) are restraining ourselves from being on a warpath with the government and our beloved citizens at this critical time, this is the wrong time to address the health workers with contempt,” he said.

Obengo further demanded demonstration of solidarity from different arms of government to health workers.

“It’s the wrong time to provoke health workers,” he said.