KNH Health Workers Down Tools Over Delayed Salary Review

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) health workers on Monday downed their tools over delayed salary review by the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

The workers staged protests outside the referral hospital on Monday morning with no adherence to social distancing rules.

According to Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), secretary general Seth Panyako, the Sh601 million in question had been approved by parliament and the funds disbursed by the National Treasury.

“The money that we are talking about has been approved..no going back. We want SRC to give a letter advising KNH on payment, thereafter, the strike will be called off,” he said.

“… the only problem is that SRC does not want Kenyatta to implement the salary review process. We will not have any engagements until we receive a letter from SRC.”

They want SRC to review their salaries as proposed in the new salary structure submitted to the commission in 2012.

In 2012 the state corporation advisory committee evaluated all parastatals in the country including referral hospitals such as KNH which they upgraded from level 3B to 7A, consequently elevating all the 7000 employees to a different salary scale.

Earlier, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) acting secretary general Chibanzi Mwachonda accused the KNH management of declining to implement the pay.

“These monies are available. They have been partially implemented because the former Chief Executive Officers benefited,”  Mwachonda said.