Serious accusations of financial misconduct, constitutional manipulation, and leadership impropriety have been directed at Mr Seth Panyako, the General Secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM), in a detailed dossier shared by a whistleblower.
Insiders who claim to be privy to internal operations at the Union have alleged that Mr Panyako orchestrated a series of fraudulent dealings under the guise of relocating Union headquarters.
Central to the claims is a 2024 land transaction involving a 20-acre parcel in Kitengela, Kajiado County, which was allegedly single-sourced from a longtime associate of Mr Panyako without transparency or due diligence. Whistleblowers from within KNUNM detail how Seth Panyako allegedly orchestrated a Ksh150M land fraud involving a questionable Kitengela deal and diversion of funds.
The Union is said to have committed Ksh150 million to this purchase but only Ksh 15 million was paid as a deposit.
According to the allegations, the actual market value of the land did not exceed Ksh 50 million.
The remaining amount was reportedly to be financed through a bank loan that never materialised. The whistleblower claims this failure was anticipated by Mr Panyako, who had ulterior motives from the start.
The Union’s entitlement to a Ksh13.5 million refund is another focal point of the complaint, with assertions that Mr Panyako personally directed the vendor to remit the funds to his own account, bypassing official Union channels.
To shield these dealings, it is alleged that staff who questioned the transaction or had knowledge of it were dismissed or suspended.
The accusations extend to the manner in which Mr Panyako purportedly replaced the Union’s old constitution with a new version, which the Employment and Labour Relations Court had previously barred through a permanent injunction.
Insiders are questioning how the constitution was registered against this ruling, describing the move as a contempt of court and a ploy to consolidate power and block fair electoral competition within the Union.
Former officials are named as victims of this restructuring, and past legal battles, such as that involving the dismissed official John Biiy, are cited to illustrate what the source describes as a pattern of suppression and procedural violations.
The complaint also includes concerns regarding the General Secretary’s handling of Union finances.
It is claimed that Mr Panyako uses the Union’s accounts as though they were private funds, signing blank cheques and directing transactions remotely, while operating from his private business premises in Kakamega.
Vehicles belonging to the Union are said to be used for his personal errands and political campaigns.
Whistleblowers are alleging that upwards of Ksh5 million is siphoned from Union coffers every month and urge members to demand a forensic audit of the Union’s accounts for the past four years, to be carried out by an independent firm.
With Union elections approaching in early 2025, the source is calling for collective mobilisation through the courts and public protests, insisting that the integrity of the Union can only be restored through the removal of Mr Panyako.
The full statement below as shared. View document