According to the National Deputy Secretary General Maurice Opetu, Tuesday’s incident where a group of goons descended on nurses during a peaceful demonstration at the county government headquarters was enough evidence that the county was not conducive for workers.

Addressing the media in Siaya town where he led a team of national officials, Opetu at the same time called on Governor James Orengo to offer a public apology to the nurses and all health care workers for the heinous act.

“The act was not ordinary. It was well organised, coordinated and executed in a professional way,” he said adding that the nurses saw a senior county official distributing batons to the goons who had been allowed entry into the compound in full glare of the demonstrators.

Opetu at the same time called on the inspector-general of police to weigh in on the matter and have the perpetrators and the goons arrested and brought to justice.

Addressing the occasion, President of National Nurses Association of Kenya Collins Otieno Ajwang’ described the governor’s office compound as a crime scene.

“The world is watching. The governor’s office compound is a crime scene and must be considered as such until the time the goons will be arrested and brought to book,” he said.

National Trustee of KNUN Henry Adolwa said the union will call a nationwide strike in solidarity with their Siaya colleagues should action not be taken against the culprits.

KNUN Siaya Branch Secretary Kennedy Hamisi said more than 20 nurses were injured during the incident. Hamisi said that two of their members were hospitalised as a result of the injuries received while 20 were treated and discharged.

Meanwhile Siaya leaders and members of the public, led by Siaya Township Member of the County Assembly Obiero Otare condemned the incident and called for quick action to bring the culprits to justice.

Otare and officials of the Siaya Passenger Service Vehicles Union said the county government cannot be allowed to degenerate into lawlessness. Otare said the senior Siaya county government enforcement leadership cannot escape scrutiny for allowing unknown goons to access the governor’s office compound shortly before the mayhem.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Philip Onyango