Siaya County has ascertained its commitment to enhance the welfare of nurses employed in the various facilities within the county.
The executive affirmed this following the picketing by the nurses under their county union officials on Monday, January 2025.
The healthcare workers took to the streets of Siaya town with placards as they marched from Siaya County Referral Hospital to the Governor’s Office in efforts to seek an audience with the county’s leadership to express their frustrations.
The nurses stated that amongst their key demands was that their employer furnish them with promotion letters as promised in previous engagements, which led to their ultimatum to strike if not met by the deadline they had issued that expired, leading to them enacting their threat to down tools.
Led by their County Union Branch Acting Secretary General Jacob Oduor, the healthcare workers wanted answers from the CEO of the Public Service Board, Wilfred Nyagudi, who is said to have promised the nurses individual promotional letters which were to be received by Friday last week, a promise that was yet to be kept.
Instead, they were met and addressed by Chief Officer for Governance Administration and ICT Walter Okello, who acknowledged that the matter of promotion of the medical staff was being finalised by the employer, adding that there was a commitment from the executive that by Friday, the promotion letters would be available to individual nurses.
“I want to apologise on behalf of the management that the commitment did not come through by the agreed date of 17th January, but the CEO will communicate so that you can be advised on the schedule of collection,” said Okello.
According to the nurses, the promotions, which they termed as long overdue, were to be effected by the employer in full by 17th January this year, and they expressed their worry that if left unchecked, further delays may turn the promotions elusive.
The picketing nurses were promised to be addressed by the CEO of the Public Service Board, who, according to Walter Okello, would provide them answers on the delays and a way forward regarding their promotion letters.
According to Oduor, the executive’s communication and commitment to promote the healthcare workers were a welcomed gesture towards fulfilling agreed terms with their employer.
On that understanding, they agreed to resume duties as they awaited communication from their employer on when to collect their promotion letters.
“Following the engagement, the nurses have resumed work as the Public Service Board finalises the issue of promotion letters and will communicate any developments to the nurses through their representatives,” said Okello.
By Cameline Odhiambo and Mary Nyangolo
