Kiambu nurses vow to soldier on until their demands are met.

Kiambu nurses heading to the county health services office (CHMT Block) at the Thika Level 5 Hospital to present their petition to the County Director of Nursing Mary Gatheca.

Nurses yesterday took to the streets of Thika Town to express their discontent with what they termed as intimidation by their employer the Kiambu County following rumours of sacking letters being circulated to all nurses who have been striking since 5^th June this year.

The nurses later presented their petition to the County Director of Nursing Mary Gatheca demanding implementation of their agreement with the Council of Governors.

They vowed that no amount of intimidation would cow them into resuming for duty before their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has been signed and registered in a court of law.

“We will not be cowed through any form of intimidation. We regret the suffering of our patients but that aside, our grievances must first be heard. We are urging the Council of Governors to move quick, sign and register our CBA with a court of law. The faster they implement the agreement, the better for all Kenyans,’ said John Njoroge, the Kiambu Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General.

The nurses threatened to paralyse operations at Thika and Kiambu Level 5 & 4 Hospitals by forcing out the few nurses who were still working to join them. They demanded equal treatment for all nurses in the country noting that some public servants were living extravagantly as nurses ‘rot in poverty’.

“All nurses should be out, we are urging you to advise them positively lest we do what we do best; kicking them out. The cake will be shared equally and some of our colleagues should not feel special than others,” said Joan Wambui, one of the striking nurses.

They exonerated Kiambu County from any blame noting that theirs was a national problem which depended on the decision derived from the Council of Governors (CoG).

“Kiambu County has always responded positively to our pleas. However, this is a national duty and we are here to show that Kiambu nurses are also on strike just like their colleagues from other counties,” said Lewin Itumbi, the KNUN Kiambu Chairperson.

Nurses at Thika Level 5 Hospital have withdrawn their services forcing families to transfer their patients to private hospitals.

Kiambu nurses strike comes even after Council of Governors health chairperson Jack Ranguma maintained that clause 300% salary increment did not hold as the government had already put it at the time the agreement was engaged.