The head of Siaya county enforcement unit John Okoth has been sent on compulsory leave following an incident, where goons accessed the governor’s office and clobbered demonstrating nurses.
According to the Siaya county secretary, Joseph Ogutu, the head, together with all enforcement officers who were on duty at the county government headquarters at the time of the incident, have been sent on a 30-day compulsory leave to pave way for full investigations into the incident.
In a signed press statement dated September 2, 2025, Ogutu called on the relevant security agencies to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book, so as to deter a repeat of the same in future.
The county secretary said the county government was committed to safeguarding the well-being of its staff, ensuring a conducive working environment and prioritizing the health care needs of its people.
“On behalf of the county government of Siaya, I wish to condemn in the strongest terms possible the violence meted against our striking nurses,” he said, adding “such acts are unacceptable, unjustifiable and contrary to the spirit of dialogue and mutual respect that we continue to uphold as a government.”
Ogutu, who apologized to the injured nurses, said every professional including the frontline health workers, has the right to air their grievances in a peaceful and lawful manner, without fear of intimidation or attack.
Early this week, scores of nurses who were demonstrating outside the governor’s office were injured when a group of goons armed with clubs and other crude weapons emerged from the compound, clobbering them as the police watched.
The incident has since been condemned by both local leaders and the leadership of the Kenya national Union of Nurses and midwives.
KNUN national deputy secretary general of the union, Maurice Opetu said the incident was enough evidence that the county was not conducive for workers.
Addressing the media in Siaya town, where he led a team of national officials, Opetu called on governor James Orengo to offer a public apology to the nurses and all health care workers for the heinous act.
Siaya leaders and members of the public, led by Siaya township member of the county assembly, Obiero Otare also condemned the incident and called for quick action to bring the culprits to justice.
Otare and officials of the Siaya Passenger Service Vehicles (PSV) Union officials led by Ochieng Hillary Omondi, John Oloo and Fredrick Obiero said that the county cannot be allowed to degenerate into lawlessness.
Otare said the senior Siaya county government enforcement leadership cannot escape scrutiny for allowing unknown goons to access the governor’s office compound, shortly before the mayhem.
by Philip Onyango
