Nandi Governor orders sacking of 200 nurses over strike

Nandi county nurses during their strike in April. Photo/FILE
Nandi county nurses during their strike in April. Photo/FILE

Cleophas Lagat has ordered the sacking of and said they will not be paid for the month.

The Nandi Governor said the county will not reverse the decision reached, as the health workers returned to work after the five-week strike.

The nurses subjected the constituents to a lot of suffering and will not be let off the hook, he said at Kipsamo Primary School on Sunday.

The county has struck the "uncooperative" nurses off the payroll and returned their files to the national government for redeployment.

"We are in the final stages of replacing all the nurses. My administration will not forgive them for the amount of suffering my people went through," Lagat said.

But Amos Ng'etich, Kenya National Union of Nurses Nandi branch secretary general, accused the governor of contempt of court.

He noted that the

Employment and Labour Relations Court had ordered the workers to return to work without victimisation.

A Nakuru court suspended the strike for three weeks, pending a ruling on May 24, but asked the union and the county to hold talks.

"The Governor is sabotaging efforts for dialogue as directed by the court. He is acting in contempt of court by terminating the services of the nurses and denying them their April salaries," he said.

Lagat had over the strike but Senator Stephen Sang accused him of intimidation.

WATCH: The latest videos from the Star