Nakuru County sets aside 60m for doctors arrears

Doctor’s union officials and Members from Kisii County sing their solidarity song after addressing the press at a Kisii hotel on Tuesday January 17, 2017. They said the government should read their CBA it doesn’t only address salaries but also their welfare so the government should be fair to them: | PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI |

What you need to know:

  • Nakuru County Assembly has set aside Sh60million out of the consolidated fund to pay the arrears of the striking health workers.
  • The funds are contained in a hurriedly drafted Sh166million Nakuru County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2017.
  • The medics went on strike on December 5 last year for 100 days in one of the longest and most painful strikes that left pain and death of patient in its wake.

NAKURU

Nakuru County Assembly has set aside Sh60million out of the consolidated fund to pay the arrears of the striking health workers.

These funds are contained in a hurriedly drafted Sh166million Nakuru County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2017.

More than 70 doctor and specialists in the county went on strike last Friday protesting over unpaid salaries for the months of December 2016, January, February, March and April 2017, which they have not received.

The medics went on strike on December 5 last year for 100 days in one of the longest and most painful strikes that left pain and death of patient in its wake.

The new round of strike has paralysed health services in all public hospitals in the county after doctors and specialist downed their tools.

APPROPRIATION

However, the assembly has moved fast to end the strike and the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2017 is set to be passed by the House before it goes for indefinite recess on June 16.

The Bill has already been read for the second time and now awaits the third reading before the House authorize the issue of Sh166million out of the consolidated fund.

The Bill drafted by the Finance, Budget and Appropriation committee recommended that the county suspends the recruitment of 220 additional enforcement officers with a proposed allocation of Sh20million be channeled towards payment of arrears of health workers.

The report further recommends the suspension of recruitment of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers and their allocation of Sh16million be used to clear the health workers pending arrears.

STRIKING

The recruitment of village administrators with a budgetary allocation of Sh20million has also been put on hold and the money will now be used to pay the arrears of the striking health workers.

“These suspensions of additional staff is aimed at averting imminent adverse industrial action by health workers whose revised salaries and allowances have not been paid,” said the chairman of the Budget and Appropriation Committee Mr Moses Ndung’u Kamau.

The committee also put on hold the reinstatement of Sh22million sport fund due to heightened political activities ahead of the August 8 polls.

ALLOCATION

“This allocation may not serve the intended sector and it is recommended that this allocation be suspended,” said Mr Ndung’u.

The biggest winners in the Bill are the 140 casual youth polytechnic instructors who have been absorbed into permanent establishment with effect from June this year after Sh6million was set aside for their salaries.

The committee also set aside Sh10million to cater for the employment of casual workers in the department of environment, water and natural resources.