Nurses in mount Kenya region have staged demonstrations in Meru town demanding to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
The nurses who are workers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) vowed to continue with their ongoing strike until all their demands are met by the government.
Speaking in Meru town when they held protests, the Kenya National Union of Nurses and midwives chairman Joseph Ngwasi, said that despite having served for the last five years, the workers are yet to be absorbed as permanent and pensionable.
He claimed that after the contract period ended, the government reallocated the funds to a different vote thus extending the contract.
“We are in a budget cycle where we have seen the parliament and other quotas increasing their budget. It only requires Sh2 billion to do a transition the UHC nurses to permanent and pensionable terms,” claimed the chairman.
The protestors drawn from Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties reiterated that for UHC to work, the government needs to consider human resource for Health.
The health workers who protested at the Meru County governor’s office also called on the Council of governors to speedily take up the matter so as to end the health crisis.
“Our people back in the community are suffering due to lack of services. This has been caused by the bulky work that the health workers are handling as some are manning a facility alone” said Faith Kawira a union member.
While at the governor’s office seeking his address, Meru Health CEC nominee Dr. Dennis Mugambi who is the Upper Eastern KMPDU chairman pledged to the workers that once vetted and approved, he would follow their demands to fulfilment.
“I want to state clearly that when Meru County advertises for nurses, what we can accept on the bare minimum is absorption to permanent and pensionable terms those already in service” pledged Dr Mugambi.
Responding to their demands, Julius Mbijiwe the chief of staff who received the workers grievances assured them of County government commitment to ensuring a stable health sector.
“The budget has been over committed but however, we shall follow up with the finance department to ensure priority for the UHC officers. This must happen because we are in dire need of services in the health sector” he summed.
