Religious leaders in Mombasa blame Governor Joho for prioritizing entertainment over health as workers strike
Mombasa religious leaders led by Sparki Mosque Imam Sheikh Abu Hamza say it was wrong for governor Ali Hassan Joho to prioritize entertainment over the hailing health sector.
"It is the poor who suffer during such strikes. It is saddening that the county government prioritizes entertainment to the health sector," Hamza said.
The religious leader further called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene in the ongoing health crisis in the county so that a long-lasting solution is found.
On its side, the county government has promised to have another meeting with the health workers in a bid to find a solution to the impasse.
"We are set to meet with the health officials to discuss the matter further," County Public Service Board Chairperson Farida Abdalla told a local daily.
Abdalla further assured the striking workers that their unpaid wages will be issued very soon. She did not, however, reveal the exact date when the money will be disbursed to the health workers.
While defending the highly debated concert that Mombasa County organized during the December holidays, governor Joho said that the event was meant to boost the country's ailing entertainment sector.
The health workers who have downed their tools for months now claims that the governor's failure to pay their salaries have not only affected them but also people from Mombasa who can't get medical health care.
"We have reached out to the county officials to pay us even part of the salary to enable us to make ends meet but our efforts have been futile," Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Mombasa Secretary-General Frankline Makanga said.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union Coast Secretary-General Shabaan Nassir revealed that they held a meeting with governor Joho on Sunday, January 9, but nothing fruitful came out of it.
Nassir claimed that Joho's administration does not prioritize the health sector hence they will not go back to work until their grievances are heard.
