By A, KNA
Machakos county leaders have called upon the nurses ‘union leaders in the county to return to the negotiating table to find an amicable solution to avert further suffering of innocent patients in health facilities as an ongoing nurse’s strike enters the seventh day.
Speaking to the media at the Machakos level 5 hospital, Wednesday, County Secretary and Head of Public Service, Dr Muia Ndambuki, acknowledged the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nursing fraternity, but urged the striking nurses to reconsider their stand and adjust their demands downwards.
Ndambuki disclosed that they have been negotiating with the Union in vain with the major bone of contention being the failure to implement recommendations of the 2024 salaries and remuneration commission (SRC), and the return-to-work formula signed in 2017.
He however pointed out that they were making efforts to find lasting solutions.
“We are doing what we need to do to get our nurses back to work but we are also appealing to them to look at the interests of Machakos people. We are requesting the Union to come back to the negotiation table,” said Ndambuki.
He further assured the residents that although the wards and inpatient services have been affected by the strike, outpatient services are still ongoing such as the Cancer center, clinics and radiology services.
“It is true that the inpatient services have been impacted by the strike, however our clinics and our outpatient departments remain fully operational,” added Ndambuki.
The County Secretary asserted that the county has made efforts in supporting nurses over the years whereby in 2023 over 132 nurses’ promotions were approved; consequently in 2024 the county recruited 57 nurses and in 2025 a further 183 nurses were employed and deployed in various hospitals across the county.
He called upon leaders to avoid politicizing the health crisis and strive to be part of the solution and not the problem, “This is not a time for blame games; we need all leaders on board to find lasting solutions and ease the suffering of our people,” said Ndambuki.
The County Executive Committee member for Health, Justus Kasivu, disclosed that apart from nurses all other cadres are on duty and they have employed nurses on locum to ensure continuity of quality healthcare services in all healthcare facilities in Machakos.
“We assure our residents that we are offering services here at Level 5 and other facilities across the county. All other cadres such as doctors, clinical officers and laboratory staff are working and we have brought in nurses on locum to fill in the gap,” said Kasivu.
This comes a day after Machakos Senator, Agnes Kavindu, made an impromptu visit at the Level 5 hospital in Machakos to evaluate the effects of the ongoing strike by the nurses implored the county government to come to an agreement with the nurses’ union.
End/Health/Mwangi/Ngala
