A nurses meeting to iron out contentious issues and unlock the ongoingimpasse turned chaotic after two rival camps clashed.
Two opposing factions, one led by former Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) chairman John Bii and the other comprising current officials spearheaded by Secretary General Seth Panyako were embroiled in a physical confrontation as they engaged each other in a legitimacy scuffle.
Bii’s team, who opposed the strike, had convened the press briefing at Nairobi Railway’s Club to call it off but Panyako’s team stormed in and in the ensuing melee kicked them out.
Panyako said nurses who had not resumed duty were ready to negotiate with the government but the rival faction was “impeding and is a stumbling block to a lasting solution.”
While exonerating governors, government and the Salaries and Remuneration Committee of blame in the current impasse, Panyako named five people he said ‘bear individual responsibility’ for the strike.
He alleged Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and his Kisii counterpart James Ongwae, along with CoG CEO Jackline Mogeni, SRC chair Sarah Serem and CEO County Provident Fund (CPF) Hosea Kiili, were behind the stalemate and were instigating a rebellion so that Bii’s team could take over nurses’ leadership.
“These individuals are colluding and are behind a conspiracy to swindle nurses. Led by Mogeni, they are pushing for the County Pension Fund to be included in the CBA contrary to a deal we struck with the state,” said Panyako.
“Why should the CBA be inclusive of the Fund yet the pension fund is a private entity not recognised by the law?” he posed.
Panyako alleged Serem and Mogeni were agitating for the pensions fund’s inclusion in the CBA so that its CEO could be “an automatic administrator wielding de-facto powers” in the deal, to fleece nurses.
“We had a deal that was done and dusted only awaiting ratification but these individuals have crafted a scheme to sneak in new terms and enable them swindle from pensioners,” he said.