Resign or we leave, disgruntled nurses warn KNUN SG Panyako

Disgruntled members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) have threatened a mass exodus from the union which boasts of over 20,000 members if their secretary general Seth Panyako does not resign.

The nurses told Nation that they are dissatisfied with the leadership of the KNUN boss accusing him of using his position to advance his personal political interests.

They cited his public quest to become the next member of parliament for Malava Constituency.

They also accuse him of refusing to conduct elections in the union for the last ten years and going to bed with UDA as ‘deputy chair’.

Speaking to the Nation in an exclusive interview, Mr Alfred Obengo, the President Emeritus of the National Nurses Association of Kenya who is a senior member of KNUN said Mr Panyako has ‘oppressed Kenyan nurses more than the government is doing’.

“Mr Panyako is a failure and the list is endless,“ he begun.

Mr Obengo disclosed that Mr Panyako has not pushed government when it comes to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for nurses, for implementation of the six months long 2017 countrywide nurses strike return to work formulae that enhanced uniform allowance from Sh10,000 annually to Sh25,000 annually and nursing service allowance from Sh20,000 to Sh30,000.

They also want Mr Panyako out for disowning nursing interns who have the same problems as doctor interns.

The secretary general has not also pressed for absorption of nurses employed under Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) and dispatched to counties during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as for them to be employed on permanent and pensionable (P&P) terms as government promised.

“Mr Panyako has not pressed for better risk allowance for nurses and has single-handedly hiked union membership subscription fees from Sh300 to Sh1000,” Mr Obengo told the Nation.

He further noted that Kenyan nurses are exiting KNUN because they are fed up with Mr Panyako imposing himself on them by electing himself unopposed in every unions election cycle for the last ten years.

“He plants his puppets to union positions including branches without any transparent elections by nurses and uses our money as nurses to bargain for political positions in the government,” he highlighted adding that Mr Panyako no longer represents nurses but ‘his own stomach’.

This is why KNUN officials displeased with their secretary general and drawn from various counties including Tana River, Wajir and Marsabit met at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday to plot on the way forward and elected Mr Obengo as their spokesperson.

Officials who attended the meeting but not wish to be named for fear of victimization disclosed to the Nation that they are planning on forming a new union where the Kenyan nurses agenda will thrive.

“Mr Panyako has turned our union into his briefcase union where he uses our monthly subscriptions to advance his own selfish interests, enough is enough," the official said.

But responding to the accusations in a telephone interview, Mr Panyako said they were ‘mere rubbish’.

“This is rubbish from Mr Obengo because the union has a system of operations. Who are the nurses who want to walk out of the union?” he posed adding that nurses are not subordinate staff of any other cadre.

“We cannot go on strike because someone else has.”

Mr Panyako also reminded Mr Obengo that the national governing council is the only body that can call for a strike.

“The statement read by the chair last week is very clear and says that nurses do not want a strike.”

The secretary general further added that he is not the only trade unionist who is a politician in the country.

“Have I been elected? Am I the only one who opposed housing levy? I act for the best interest of our members and not some frustrated individuals in some corner somewhere,“ he told Nation.

On not conducting elections at KNUN for the last 10 years, Mr Panyako agreed that they have indeed not held any elections.

“Elections will be done in 2026, if there’s any dispute courts are the only platform that will resolve."

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