Nurses strike enters the 5th day in tharaka nithi county

A health workers’ strike in Tharaka-Nithi County entered its fifth day on Friday, causing patients more suffering.

 The strike over unpaid May salaries continued as the county government maintained that the national government should be blamed for the delay.

Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, however, said he had confirmed the national government sent money on time.

Through a Facebook post, Prof Kindiki said he has confirmed with the Treasury that the money was sent at the same time with other counties and not late as Tharaka-Nithi government leaders claimed.

“The explanation from Treasury and Afya House is that Tharaka-Nithi like many other counties has not ring fenced health money disbursed to them. The money goes to common basket called county revenue account and may be used to pay any service including contractors,” said Prof Kindiki.

Related srory Funds supposed to pay workers channeled to other works
The Senator said his effort to amend the Public Finance Act 2012 was to ring-fence money meant for a particular department so that it would not be channeled to another docket to avoid hitches.

“It has been agreed that I draft a bill to amend the Public Finance Management Act 2012 compelling counties to ring-fence monies and keep separate vote heads for the different departments just as the national government.

He added: “That is why national money for the Ministry of Defence cannot be used to pay road constructors or to pay Ministry of Water staff but registration is a long process.

“In the meantime I call on Tharaka-Nithi County government to ring-fence money for the health sector to spare patients the agony they are experiencing. The county government must pay health workers their dues immediately,” said Prof Kindiki.

 

Empty beds in Chuka General Hospital's maternity ward in Tharaka-Nithi County. Patients have been transferred to Embu Level Five hospital and Meru Referral Hospital following the health workers' strike over delayed pay.