Health workers at Mombasa County on Wednesday, January 8, left their duties in all public hospitals citing delays in salary payments.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, an official from the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) in the county blamed Governor Hassan Joho for what he described as causing suffering to the county health workers.
“The government of Mombasa has not paid us the December salary. We sought their audience but they only said that they have not received money from the national government.”
“How comes the neighbouring counties already paid their employees in time? We have no option but to stay at home,” indicated the source.
The official further lamented the trend of delaying their salaries, indicating that it has become a norm in the coastal city.
“In November, we received our salaries on the 23rd after a long process of following up with the governor’s office.
“The county employees need money to take back their children to school. We have been forced to stay at home because we cannot even afford bus fares,” added the source.
Speaking to Citizen TV on Wednesday January 8, 2020, the KNUN Mombasa branch secretary general Peter Maroko indicated that the workers were not on official strike but held a salaries parade where they resolved to stay at home until the county paid them their dues.
“The county has openly gone against what we agreed in 2015 about payment deadlines for the employees. We propose that a health service commission should be formulated to help resolve problems between health practitioners and the county administration.
“We ask members of the public to seek health services from private hospitals around them. Those admitted in the hospitals may also be forced to seek other medication options,” remarked Maroko.
Governor Joho was also castigated for failing to formulate a full cabinet, a move that have affected decision making in the county.
“Lack of county executives can be blamed for the current mess. How does the governor expect to run all operations smoothly without the CECs?”
"They are just playing games with doctors, nurses, clinical officers and other workers. We informed the county that we will be walking out of the hospitals and we have made real our threat,” added Maroko.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Mombasa county director of communication Richard Chacha admitted to the delays in payment of the salaries to the workers in the county occasioned by delays in cash disbursement from the national treasury.
"We have been facing challenges that led to delays in receiving funds from the national treasury. However, this has been solved and we will be receiving the money from tomorrow."
"The workers will start receiving their salaries before the end of the week," remarked Chacha.
Chacha further urged the county workers to be patient with the county government as the issue gets a solution.
"We are only two days late in paying the workers salaries. We request them to bear with us as we resolve this matter," added Chacha.
