The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) on Friday turned its guns on 5 senior government officials who they said were behind the stalemate that necessitated the week-long strike.
Speaking at a press conference that had earlier turned chaotic after members forcefully ejected KNUN Chairman John Bii, the union’s Secretary General Seth Panyako claimed that powerful forces were behind the strike.
The five who were named as being behind the health stalemate were: Salaries and Remuneration Chair Sarah Serem, Council of Governors (CoG) Chair Josephat Nanok, Kisii Governor James Ongwae, Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and Jacqueline Mogeni, who is the CoG Chief Executive.
Panyako particularly took issue Ms Mogeni whom he accused of being in cohorts with her husband who was seeking a senatorial seat to stall the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“The stalemate is not being caused by the CoG, by the SRC or by the Public Service Commission. Our position as a union is that through our investigations and contacts, we are going to name who is responsible...One Jackeline Mogeni, whose husband is running for the Nyamira Senatorial seat told us we must include the County Pension Fund (CBF) or the CBA would not be signed. It was not signed. We went on strike and was only signed because we went on strike,” said Panyako.
Panyako claimed that the push by Ms Mogeni for the CBF was a ploy to syphon public money through the Local Authority Pension Trust (Laptrust).
He said that CBF was a private fund fronted by one Hoseah Kili who was seeking to rake in billions by converting the private fund into a public entity.
Panyako alleged that Mogeni was in Kili’s payroll and was frustrating efforts in a bid to raise money to allegedly fund her husband’s campaign in Nyamira.
The Secretary-General also claimed that Governor Ongwae and Ranguma were also behind the scheme by Kili’s CBF.
Panyako explained that the two governors had sponsored court cases to have him along with other officials expelled from the union so that their surrogates including the ousted chair, Bii, could take over and advance their agenda.
He called on the health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu to also stop hiding behind the CoG and take charge of the stalemate that had paralysed the health sector.
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