A showdown between two of the senior leaders of the Kenya National Union of Nurses is expected in court on Monday. On one hand, the nurses’ chairman John Biiy wants secretary-general Seth Panyako stripped of his post.
Panyako is accused of embezzling the union’s money with his ‘second wife’, and misusing members’ property to fund his campaigns for the Kakamega Senate seat.
He filed the case on January 27 at the Labour Relations Court through lawyer Mageto Bitange.
Mr Bitange listed instances where Mr Panyako has allegedly made suspicious payments from the union’s accounts, dismissed staff, disbanded three branches, made unsubstantiated claims against Mr Biiy among others.
The advocate convinced Lady Justice Monica Mbaru to suspend Mr Panyako until Monday and to bar him from taking part in any transactions of the union. “In the interim, Mr Panyako be ordered to forthwith surrender official vehicles of the union namely: Toyota Prado registration number KCC 757R, Toyota Noah registration number KBV 269N as well as a laptop, iPad, the office smartphone … and the same be handed over to the union,” Justice Mbaru’s order read in part.
However, Panyako obtained orders to stay the decision until today.
It is under Panyako’s leadership that the nurses’ NEC kicked out Biiy. The NEC claimed he has been sabotaging the ongoing talks to formulate a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The wrangles started last December, when the negotiation team, led by Biiy, successfully brokered a new nursing service allowance of between Sh15,000 and Sh20,000 for all nurses.
They then called off the strike to give way for comprehensive talks with the government on a CBA. Panyako protested, saying only the National Governing Council could call off a strike. He expelled Biiy and three other officials from the CBA negotiations team.
