Fresh concerns have emerged from Ashburn Community Nursing Home, located near Uhuru Market in Siaya County, after employees accused the facility of failing to pay staff salaries for months, leaving workers struggling to meet basic needs and former employees allegedly walking away without receiving wages they had already earned.
According to a whistleblower, some employees have reportedly gone for as long as three months without receiving their salaries, while others who resigned or left the facility allegedly abandoned between three and four months of unpaid wages after unsuccessful attempts to recover their money.
The complainant says the delayed salaries have pushed many workers into financial hardship, with some unable to pay rent, buy food, meet transport costs or provide for their families despite reporting to work every day and caring for patients.
Workers argue that healthcare employees play a critical role in looking after sick and vulnerable people, yet many of them are allegedly being denied the very wages they depend on to survive.
According to the complaint, employees who question the delayed payments are allegedly met with dismissive responses, including being told that many other people are looking for jobs and that they are free to leave if they are unhappy.
The whistleblower says such statements have created an atmosphere of fear where many employees choose to remain silent because they worry they could lose their jobs if they continue demanding payment.
Former employees are said to be among the biggest victims. According to the complainant, several people who left the nursing home after months of service are still waiting for salaries they earned before leaving. They fear pursuing the matter further because they believe they have little leverage once they are no longer employed by the facility.
The allegations raise fresh questions about compliance with Kenya's Employment Act, which requires employers to pay employees for work performed and protects workers from unfair labour practices.
Similar concerns have previously been raised at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, where long serving contract nurses complained that they had spent more than five years working on rolling three month contracts while performing the same duties as permanent staff. The nurses said they faced uncertainty over their future despite serving continuously at Kenya's national referral hospital for mental health, prompting calls for the Ministry of Health to review employment practices affecting frontline healthcare workers.
Another comparable case involved Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK), where former employees alleged they waited more than seven months for their terminal dues after completing the clearance process. The former workers claimed repeated attempts to follow up through calls and emails went unanswered, leaving many without money they had earned before leaving the organisation. The complaints attracted calls for intervention by the Ministry of Labour and other relevant authorities.
A similar dispute also emerged at PEPFAR supported health facilities across Kenya, where healthcare workers appealed to the Ministry of Health over poor pay, short term contracts and limited job security despite serving for years in HIV, TB and maternal health programmes. The workers argued that frontline healthcare staff should receive fair remuneration and employment conditions that reflect the critical services they provide to patients.
Kenya's Employment Act requires employers to pay wages when they fall due, and labour experts have consistently warned that persistent delays in salary payments can expose workers to serious financial hardship while exposing employers to legal disputes before the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
The affected workers are now appealing to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the County Labour Office in Siaya, and the Ministry of Health to investigate the allegations, establish why salaries have allegedly remained unpaid for months and ensure employees receive the wages they have already earned.
Below is the complaint received, edited only for grammar and clarity: ¶
"Kindly post this for me. There is a serious concern that needs to be addressed at Ashburn Community Nursing Home, around Uhuru Market in Siaya County. Workers have reportedly been going for months without receiving their salaries, with some allegedly accumulating three months of unpaid wages. What is even more heartbreaking is that many people who have already left the facility reportedly left behind three to four months of unpaid salaries. They worked, served patients and gave their time, yet walked away without receiving all the money they had earned. People have rent to pay. They need food, transport and money to support their families. Workers cannot survive on promises while their salaries continue to accumulate as arrears. Workers who raise concerns about payment are reportedly told, 'Many people are looking for jobs. You can leave if you want.' This creates an environment where employees feel they have no choice but to remain silent because they fear losing their jobs. If workers have worked for their salaries, they deserve to be paid. People should not leave a workplace after months of service and simply have to abandon the salaries they worked for."