The Union of Kenya Civil Servants on Wednesday, April 8, urged Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru to consider re-hiring health workers who had been sacked for striking.
Through the Kirinyaga County branch secretary Patrick Ndung'u, the health workers stated that it was not logical for the county government to recruit new staff while 300 experienced ones remained unemployed.
“We are appealing to the Governor to consider the plight of the workers and have them reinstated to their positions,” Ndungu stated.
Ndungu added that the health workers were suffering because their petition was still pending in court.
Further, he complained that county employees experienced undue delays in salaries, citing that most of them were going for their second month without pay.
“The delay is impacting negatively on the workers especially at this trying moment of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he disclosed.
The official stated that the workers were going through tough times as most had unpaid loans and were not receiving treatment in hospitals due to NHIF dues delays.
“Landlords have been a terror to our employees, they don’t understand how a government employee can fail to receive their salary every end of the month,” he told the media.
Ndung'u reminded the governor that most of the health workers that were hired were the most experienced in the county.
“We need them now more than ever to save the lives of Kirinyaga people who may contract this deadly virus,” he informed.
In July 2019, Waiguru sacked health workers who declined to resume duty after Justice Nzioka Mutua, sitting at the Employment and Labour Court in Nyeri ruled that the health workers' strike was illegal.
Following the verdict, the county administration gave the workers until Monday, July 8 to resume work, however, some of the health practitioners declined to resume duty.
“Any officer who did not report to work by Monday 8th July 2019, stands dismissed and should collect their letters of termination from their previous duty stations,” Waiguru declared through a press statement.
