A judge has given Nairobi Hospital permission to dismiss more than 200 employees in an effort to slash expenses and exclude employees involved in a recent corruption investigation.
The Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) filed a petition, but Justice Nzioki wa Makau rejected it, saying it was premature because a letter from management to the union dated March 10 was intended to open talks between the parties ahead of the restructuring programme.
Staff who worked inappropriately or were complicit in corrupt activities that were uncovered in a new criminal investigation are being fired by the premier hospital.
“Besides the staff affected by normal rationalisation, the hospital is disengaging with all staff who have perennial performance issues or were implicated in unethical practices during forensic audits,” the hospital quoted.
Nairobi Hospital, like other institutions in the region, has been struggling financially as a result of an economic recession exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Albert Njeru, the union’s secretary-general, claimed in an affidavit that activities at the hospital were continuing as normal. In the last eight months, he added, the hospital has run out of beds due to an increase in admissions for Covid-19 patients. Mr Njeru believes the hospital’s claim that business has been dwindling is untrue.
The court heard that reducing workers due to the economic downturn triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic was legal.
