Nurses from Nyahururu Teaching and Referral hospital on Wednesday staged a demonstration in Nyahururu town over what they termed as failure of county government of Laikipia to offer them employment on permanent and pensionable term.
The nurses led by the Chairman, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Laikipia Branch Peter Ndiba faulted Governor Joshua Irungu for ignoring their plea despite a return to work formula agreement early this year in January.
Ndiba said the nurses are calling upon the governor to honour his pledge of ensuring the contracted nurses are permanent and pensionable employed among other pledges.
He reiterated that Governor Irungu had promised to have all the contracted nurses employed adding that they see no ray of hope since it is four months since the promise.
The chairman further pointed out that all the 11 promises agreed upon during the return to work formula in January have not been met blaming the county government for ignoring the plight of contracted nurses.
Secretary, KNUN, Laikipia Branch, Daniel Wangai said 80% of the nurses in Laikipia are contracted nurses which the county government through return to work formula promised would be employed under permanent and pensionable terms.
Wangai lamented that up to now since January the county government has not honoured the promise citing high wage bill which currently stands at 55%.
He said the nurses are wondering why high wage bill while most of them are contracted nurses with meager salary.
Spelanza Wambui, KNUN, Laikipia Branch treasurer, said many patients are suffering in hospitals not because of their own mistakes or of nurses but because of failure of county government to honour its promises.
The KNUN, Laikipia Branch said they are ready to return to work once all the 11 promises agreed upon early this year are addressed.
