Wavinya administration urges striking health workers to obey court order

The County Government of Machakos has asked striking health workers to obey court order and return to work in order to avert further suffering of the patients.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi said that the county had met most of the demands raised by health workers and therefore “they have no business participating in the strike”.

His call comes after the Employment and Labour Relations Court sitting in Machakos on Friday directed the doctors, clinical officers, laboratory technicians, and public health officers to suspend their ongoing strike and return to work pending inter partes hearing on October 16, 2024.

He urged the striking workers to resume duty and not defy the court.

"We have done our best and the other option we had was to go to court in order for the court to compel the health workers to go back to work," the deputy governor said on Saturday during the burial ceremony of the late Lucia Munyambu at Mukunike village in Kangundo sub-County.

The court issued the orders few days after Governor Wavinya Ndeti's administration warned striking health workers that nobody will be paid for absconding duties.

County Secretary and Head of Public Service Muya Ndambuki said many of their grievances had already been addressed.

"The county government is concerned that anybody involved in a go slow or strike won't get paid. We have been in discussion with them," he said on Wednesday while addressing the media at Governor Ndeti's office in Machakos shortly after health workers downed tools.

Last week doctors' union, Kenya Union of Clinical officers and Kenya Public Health Union issued a strike notice to the county government demanding promotions which they claimed were long overdue.

A spot check by AVDelta News at some private hospitals in the county showed an increase in the number of patients due to the ongoing health workers' strike.