Reprieve for Meru medics denied salaries as Mwangaza orders they be paid
Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza inspects some of the county vehicles at Kinoru stadium on September 5, 2022 during a drivers' headcount. She has ordered for payment of medics whose salaries had been withheld for going on strike.
More than 500 Meru County nurses and clinical officers who were denied their salaries for two months for taking part in a strike in 2021 have a reason to smile after Governor Kawira Mwangaza directed that they be paid.
The workers had taken part in industrial action over delayed salaries and remittance of statutory deductions and lack of promotions.
In January last year, the County Public Service Board advertised 496 positions for nurses after the Health executive declared them vacant. The nurses’ union moved to court to bar the county government from firing the workers.
On Wednesday, Governor Mwangaza directed that the workers be paid their dues promptly, saying they could not be punished for participating in a legal strike.
Welcomed directive
Union officials welcomed the directive, saying it would pave the way for fixing low staff morale that had hit the health sector for the last five years.
About 500 nurses missed their January, February and part of March salaries last year, said Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Meru branch secretary Nesbitt Mugendi.
Some 60 clinical officers were also not paid, said Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco) Meru branch secretary Moses Baiyenia.
“We are very happy that the governor has seen it wise to address the injustice. The salary delays and withholding of payments had caused financial and mental stress to many of the workers. Some have been earning negative salaries,” Mr Baiyenia said.
He said the governor should also look into the plight of support staff at health centres and dispensaries who have gone without pay for up to one year.
Mr Mugendi said the directive paves the way for the resolution of many other welfare issues, including lack of promotions, delayed payment of salaries and remittance of statutory deductions.
“We expect the new administration to resolve all the complaints that have been causing perennial strikes in Meru,” Mr Mugendi said.
Unions have also appealed to the governor to appoint a unionist to run the Health department.
In efforts to fix congestion and lack of drugs at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, Governor Mwangaza directed that outpatient services be digitised and money collected at the hospital be used to purchase drugs.
