Nairobi is facing a potential health crisis after county health workers staged demonstrations in the Central Business District (CBD) to protest three months of unpaid salaries.
The angry workers, who included nurses, clinical officers, and support staff, marched from Jevanjee Gardens to City Hall on Thursday, October 2, demanding accountability from Governor Johnson Sakaja.
“We Are Tired of Empty Promises” — Health Workers
The protesters accused the governor of violating previous agreements regarding salary payments and failing to address their repeated pleas.
“We haven’t received our salaries for the last three months. The county keeps signing agreements but never honours them. We are tired,” said Malindi Chao, Nairobi branch Secretary of KMPDU.
Another leader, Stephen Muthama, chairperson of KUCO Nairobi, dismissed excuses about delayed funds from the Exchequer.
“We don’t care about excuses involving Exchequer, CoG, or budgets. All we want is our money paid on time,” he said firmly.
Workers Camp Outside Sakaja’s Office — But He’s a No-Show
The demonstrators camped outside Sakaja’s City Hall office, chanting slogans and holding placards, but the governor was reportedly away, attending a Jukwaa la Usalama security forum at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete.
This further infuriated the workers, who accused Sakaja of ignoring their plight while attending high-profile events instead of addressing urgent healthcare challenges back in the city.
Second Strike in Just Two Weeks
This is not an isolated incident. Nairobi County workers recently announced a go-slow on September 18 after similar salary delays.
According to Calvince Okello, Secretary of the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) Nairobi Branch, the county violated a return-to-work agreement signed on August 11, which required salaries to be paid by the fifth of every month.
However, as of September 17, many employees had not received their pay, pushing them into financial distress.
Workers Unable to Afford Transport to Work
Okello revealed that some workers could no longer afford bus fare to commute to their workstations. He advised those struggling financially to stay home or drastically slow down operations until salaries are fully processed.
Looming Healthcare Shutdown
The standoff threatens to cripple essential health services across Nairobi, leaving thousands of patients stranded if the issue is not urgently resolved.
Health workers have vowed to continue their strike until all pending salaries are cleared, insisting that their dignity and livelihoods must be respected before they can resume work.
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