- The county’s clinical officers and laboratory technicians have been on a long strike.
- Senator Wakoli asked the county government to sit down with the health providers and agree on working terms.
Image: TONY WAFULA
Health services were disrupted in Bungoma after casual workers downed their tools and took to the streets demanding seven months’ pay.
The county’s clinical officers and laboratory technicians have been on a long strike.
The health providers' protests come few days after Governor Kenneth Lusaka reshuffled his cabinet.
The reshuffle saw health CEC Andrew Wamalwa moved to water, environment and climate change with his trade and industrialisation counterpart Caro Makali took over health.
Addressing the press in Bungoma during the protest, Joshua Omwami, the group’s secretary general, said the casual labourers had worked for seven months without pay.
He described the delay by the county government as unfair, barbaric and punitive.
“All these months health officials from the county government have been promising to clear our dues but nothing has been wired to our accounts. This time around we aren’t going to relent. We have joined our Generation Z counterparts in demos,” Omwami said.
He said most of casual workers live in rental houses and have families.
"How do we expect us to feed our families and come to work daily without any payment?," he said.
“We have families to cater for and we are not paid. We are just asking for our money. We are not striking but demonstrating. Some sleep hungry yet we are required to go to work.”
Omwami accused the county leadership of turning a deaf ear to the casual workers' pleas, adding that the government is aware of the plight of the workers but has never responded.
The protesters also blamed Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli for keeping quiet instead of inquiring into why the health workers haven’t been paid.
But Senator Wakoli defended himself, saying he received information when the casual workers were already demonstrating out in the streets. Health providers’ demonstrations in Bungoma are common.
Wakoli asked the county government to sit down with the health providers and agree on working terms, stating that the Senate approved the budget to the counties to cater for health services.
“The Senate approved resources to counties to pay all workers and this year we have increased the budget to Sh400 billion. There is no reason for the county to excuse itself as there is money to pay its workers,” the Ford Kenya senator said.
Immediate former health executive Wamalwa defended the county leadership, saying talks on hiring the casual workers on permanent and pensionable terms were still on.
"The plan to include the casual workers on a year contract and permanent terms is still on and this week they will get their dues," he said.