This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
On May 14, 2020, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party urged the government to address the concerns of health workers, who are threatening to go on strike due to lack of funding and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The party's Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, sent a letter to media houses, calling on the government to put in place further measures to cushion the most vulnerable in society during the pandemic.
ODM's leadership, along with parliamentary leaders from the Senate and National Assembly, attended a meeting chaired by Raila Odinga to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the country.
According to the ODM party, they will continue to support and supplement the government's efforts to contain the disease and return to normalcy.
However, the Kenya Health Workers Union Society has accused the government and council of governors of neglecting their welfare, saying health workers are overexposed and not protected from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The health workers have threatened to down their tools come Monday, May 18, citing lack of funding and PPE. They claim the government has failed to conduct mass testing of health workers attending to Coronavirus patients, exposing them to risk of transmitting the virus to their families and community.
The Kenya National Union of Clinical Officers, Kenya Health Professional Society, and the Kenya Laboratories Technologies have vowed to down their tools Monday should the government fail to address their concerns.
