Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has given striking nurses up to Monday to return to work or they be replaced.
Addressing the press after a meeting with nurses at the Kenya Medical Training Centre, Busia Campus on Thursday, the Governor said the amnesty will be the last one for the health workers.
“The County Public Service Board should convene a meeting on Tuesday to advertise for positions of medics who would have failed to report on duty by Monday,” he said.
Nurses who honoured the meeting convened by the County Chief cited threats from union officials as the main reason that saw them not report to duty.
Dismissing the hypothesis, the Governor said those threatened would have reported the matter to relevant arms of the law.
He promised to talk to security apparatus to avail security to various public health institutions.
“This is a candid amnesty I am giving you. I know most of you have families and obligations to meet, bear in mind that I have too a human heart but it has now reached a dead end,” he emphasized.
He said this was the first meeting with the next being tomorrow to involve Clinical Officers and later doctors, adding that the meetings are meant to have the health workers return to work unconditionally.
He added: “All the nurses who attended the meeting today will be paid this month’s salary next month since the payroll had already been closed ; the same will apply to clinical officers who will attend tomorrow’s meeting.”
Ojaamong blamed KNUN Busia branch officials for their failure to identify issues aligned to the county instead of lamping all 26 issues most of which don’t affect us like reinstatement of sacked health workers in Kirinyaga and formation of health commission.
Officers from the county including Public Service and Administration John Mwami, CPSB chair Assumpta Obore, Chief Officers Dr Isaac Omeri (Medical Services), Jonathan Ino (Public Health), Clementina Omoto (PSA), Directors Dr Janerose Ambuchi (Medical Services), Melsa Lutomia (Public Health), Governors legal advisor Gervas Akhaabi and CPSB member Patrick Afwande pleaded with nurses to return to work or risk dismissal.
