A Kisumu court has temporarily stopped the health workers’ strike within the county.The order was issued virtually, on April 25, 2023, before Lady Justice Christine Baari.
The health workers who began their strike on April 19, 2023, were ordered to resume their duties until an application filed by the county government is heard and determined.
The county government had moved to court to stop the ongoing health workers strike citing paralysis of services in key medical facilities in the county as a result of the industrial action.
The country through its lawyers had sued the Kenya Union of Nurses, (KNUN), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT), and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO).
In court documents, the county argued that the matter was of public importance and the lives of hundreds of thousands of Kisumu residents were at risk, citing the current Cholera outbreak which could spiral as a result of the strike.
An order was not granted but instead, the respondents were ordered to file and serve their responses before the end of Monday this week and Tuesday, April 25, for further directions.
However, on Tuesday, Justice Baari granted the order by the county government.
“In the Interim, a temporary order of injunction is hereby issued restraining the respondents and their members from carrying on and or continuing with the strike action that is said to have commenced on 19/4/2023 and that they are forthwith directed to resume their duties until the application herein is heard and finally determined.”
The court also directed the county to release the Respondent’s members’ salaries by May 4, 2023.
The court will issue further orders on the matter on May 22, 2023, during the inter-parties hearing.
