Nyeri County plans to sack nurses if they fail to resume duty

Nyeri county government has resolved to stop salaries of striking nurses and issue them with letters requiring them to explain why they should not be sacked for deserting duty.

At the same time, the county administration wants nurses occupying government houses to vacate them immediately.

"Despite us doing our best to address their grievances, the nurses have remained obstinate. These drastic measures are meant to resolve the crisis in the best interest of a stable healthcare delivery system," said Governor Nderitu Gachagua.

He said the vacant positions will be advertised on Friday and filled progressively.

The governor wondered why the nurses had refused to resume duty and yet all their concerns had been addressed.

In regard to the health workers' promotion and redesignation, Gachagua said his government was currently conducting a performance appraisal of individual nurses based on the personal files that it received from the Ministry of Health a month ago.

He stated that the bulk of reconciliation and remittances of statutory deductions had already been done and that the remaining remittance for September and December 2014 will be effected by the end of next month.

Gachagua criticised Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi for siding with the nurses instead of offering solutions to the impasse.

But Murugi strongly defended herself saying that the county government had snubbed her when she approached the officials for talks to end the impasse.

A case filed last month by the county government against the nurses will be heard today at the Employment and Labour Relations court in Nairobi.