Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has said the county will withhold June salaries of striking health workers.
In a statement to media houses, Waiguru said the county cannot pay for work not done by the medics even as the strike entered day 31 on Thursday.
"We cannot pay people who have not been at work," Waiguru said, terming the strike illegal.
The medics, through their unions, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union, Kenya National Union of Nurses and Clinical Officers Union, have insisted the strike is legal and dared the county to arrest them if they are taking part in an illegality.
The month-long strike has paralysed services in all medical facilities leaving poor residents who cannot afford medical services from private hospitals vulnerable, the most affected are expectant women.
The county has further threatened to sack the health workers. Waiguru had on June 5 made the same threat at Kiambatha Primary School in Gichugu constituency where she distributed avocado seedlings to farmers.
She gave the workers 24 hours to resume duty or be axed but she never made good her threat since the workers moved to the labour court in Nyeri to stop the move.
"The threat by the county to our members is laughable since they (county) moved to court to obtain orders to stop the strike but they never obtained the same. Our strike is legal and what can end the stalemate is dialogue not threats to our members," KMPDU Central secretary general Gor Goody told the Star on phone on Thursday.
The medics are demanding better hygiene in all health facilities, promotions and payment of salaries for doctors on study leave. They have vowed not to go back to work until their demands are met.
"How can we resume work when Keruguya Level 5 Hospital, which is the county’s largest, has no incinerator and waste is dumped outside exposing our members to health hazards?" Gor asked.
He accused Waiguru of not wanting to find a solution to the situation but hiding in her ivory tower since she has failed to initiate dialogue. Waiguru has insisted she will only hold talks once the medics return to work.
The governor, through her communication department, said the move to withhold the workers' June salaries was reached after a Wednesday full cabinet meeting.
The county chief said she is seeking a long lasting solution with unionists, a move Gor denied and said the county is yet to reach out to them.
On Wednesday, the health workers help a peaceful march to the governor's office at Kutus but were repulsed by a contingent of anti-riot police who teargassed and clobbered them.
Edited by R.Wamochie
