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Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has threatened to withdraw funding to the union.
The members are blaming the SG Seth Panayakoo for their woes.
A Statement signed by 18 members read:
This year in February several, duly registered and contributing members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses moved to the Employment and Labour Relations Court to challenge the unprocedural and illegitimate election of Mr. Seth Panyako as the national General Secretary of our union.
The purpoted election of Mr. Panyako and others, was in gross violation of the nurses constitution, an absurdity and travesity of justice, a matter that we’re currently in court seeking to rectify and initiate fresh, fair and credible elections of office bearers.
This matter is still before the court pending complete hearing and determination.We have a hearing date set for October, 15.
Meanwhile while we are awaiting that to happen, we are shocked to learn that Mr Seth Panyako has taken advantage of the delay in court and gone ahead to register changes in the constitution through a purported zoom meeting.Mr. Panyako is grasping on straws, employing illegitimate methods to stay at the helm of our union in the absence of an acceptable electoral process.
We have also learnt with a great deal of surprise that a gazette notice issued by Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui this week proposes to raise KNUN members’ monthly contribution from Ksh 650 to 1000 purportedly citing a meeting that had been stopped by the courts at Wild Waters, in Mombasa in 2019.
The nurses of Kenya who are members of this great union are opposed to the increase in their contributions and take action to immediately stop contributing to the union until our voice is heard and respected.
As members of this giant union we make THREE demands for us to allow for deductions and resume contributing to the union as we await for outcome of the courts:
1. There’s an ongoing case in court, as we await the final ruling on that matter, any changes to the nurses constitution MUST be shelved forthwith.
2. That the gazette notice purporting to increase nurses contributions from Ksh 650 to 1000 be Immediately revoked.
3.That free, fair and credible elections of officials be conducted at branch and national level.We have arrived at this extremely painful decision bearing in mind that getting this Union for us was not a walk in the park.
We got this Union through blood and sweat. But Mr panyako has continuously used it as a tool for personal development at the expense of the suffering union members whose welfare and needs are repeatedly ignored.
We can not keep quiet anymore.Signed: 1.Halima Adan Ahmed2. Newton F. Kimanthi 3.David Omondi Ochieng 4.Eunice Barbuch 5. Chesire Kampala6.Bonface Maina7. Winnie Kubai 8.Lenpike Kioko9.Asha Idow10.Julius Makau 11.John Nyaboga 12.Henry Kilemi13.David Njoroge 14.George Shiveka15.Raymond Sakuny 16.Mburu Muroki 17.Charles Ayuka18.Damon Kwaraa