Kenyans urged to uphold unity and transparent leadership

Nyeri,

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

KNA by Samuel Maina

Kenyans have been urged to cultivate the culture of good neighbourliness and foster a spirit of transparency for those in positions of leadership.

The President of Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union (RNMU) Mr Andre Gitembagara warned that ethnic animosity, lack of shared national values and selfishness among those in power is a deadly powder keg that can plunge a country into a bloodbath.

Drawing from the harrowing tales of killings that almost wiped out an entire ethnic community in his country in 1994, Gitembagara was however quick to note that patriotism and reconciliation among his countrymen has now transformed the tiny East African country into a beacon of peace and hope for the continent and even beyond.

The official was speaking Tuesday during the opening ceremony for the 65th National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) Scientific Conference at the Kamwenja Teachers Training College in Nyeri attended by over 2,000 registers nurses and midwives from across the country.

“Rwanda was a collapsed country at the time (April 7 and July 15 1994). It was not easy to bring together those who were killers and those who were victims. To bring them together to build the country was very difficult. That was a very difficult moment that we have (sic) experienced,” said the official who also sits at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Board representing Africa.

The Council which was created in 1899 with a membership of more than 130 National Nurses’ Associations representing the millions of nurses works towards ensuring delivery of quality care for all and sound health policies.

Gitembagara at one time lit up the packed auditorium after he said that unlike Kenya where every person is recognized by his ethnic group, Rwandese identify each other as comrades of one family.

 He said this brotherhood has accelerated the process of recovery and healing from the ghosts of the 1994 genocide and in turn placed the country among the fastest developing democracies in the world.

“When you come to Rwanda you cannot distinguish between who comes from this group (Hutu) or from that group (Tutsi). We are marrying each other. We are all determined to work towards the development of our country,” he told the conference also attended by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga among other dignitaries.

The official similarly emphasized the need to have strong leadership structure terming it the cord that keeps the members united.

He said as long as NNAK maintains strong leadership structures beginning from grassroots to the national level the welfare of members will always be taken care of.

“If you don’t have strong leadership any national association cannot go ahead. So, you need to support your leaders and your leaders need to work for sustainability. Our National Nurses Association have been struggling to be sustainable but sustainability comes from the membership. If you have a big number of members, you are assured that you are sustainable,” he pointed out.

On his part National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) President Collins Ajwang’ Otieno raised concerns over the country’s preparedness in combating emerging health emergencies akin to the Covid 19 pandemic that killed close to 6,000 Kenyans and 3 million people globally.

The official warned that unless the Government put extra resources in place in terms of personnel and facilities, the next wave of health challenge will prove more than the country’s struggling health systems can withstand.

“We have been prewarned that tsunami is coming, that climate change is real, that the pandemic is coming. But what are we doing. Are we waiting the way we did for Covid 19,” he posed.

“Covid 19 was a surprise. Now we have the opportunity. The presentations have been on the effects of climate change to the citizens, the population, people and the community, people and the environment. But new disease patterns will come up. What are we doing about it. Its time all the governments came up and do real investments in health. Provision of insurance for all should be real so that we have equity in healthcare delivery,” stressed Otieno.

On the issue of nurses’ welfare, the official urged Kahiga (who chairs the Human Resources at the Council of Governors Council (COG)), to spearhead the matter of enacting a new comprehensive scheme of service for the health workers.

He said nurses were currently stuck in the old scheme of service dating back to 2010 which needs urgent review to enable nurses enjoy a seamless career progression just like other government employees.

Owili also called for the scrapping of contractual terms of service for nurses which he termed as meaningless.

“There should be proper terms of engagement of healthcare professionals not contractual work that has no meaning. As the current chair of Human Resources at the Council of Governors they (nurses) have requested that you push for this (scheme of service for nurses) so that we can get the scheme of services for nurses and midwives We have done our part. The scheme of service was last done in 2010. It is now two decades. You can just push it a little and it will pass through,” he requested the Governor.

The theme for this year’s conference is Our Nurses, Our Future: Addressing Climate Change for Sustainable Universal Health Coverage.

It is in alignment with the country’s nation’s healthcare agenda in building a resilient health system that is capable of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The three-day conference which kicked off Tuesday will come to a close on Thursday (October 19 2023).

Also present were Nyeri County Health CEC Dr. Joseph Kiragu, County Health Director Dr. Nelson Muriua and County Nursing Director Nelly Maina, among others.

Courtesy; KNA