Kenya Environmental Health Practitioners Health and Public Union (KEHPHPU) has given the County Government of Kakamega a three-day ultimatum to sign a recognition agreement with the union or face an industrial action.

Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the union Brown Ashira Olaly warned after a meeting with the Kakamega County Public Service Board to facilitate the signing of the recognition agreement between the county government and KEHPHPU flopped.

The meeting was chaired by James Wakungwi Sakwa, who is the chair of the Kakamega County Public Service Board, and attended by officials from several trade unions, including the Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUNAD), Kenya Union of National and Private Education Teachers (KUNOPPET), Kenya Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KUMLO), UKS Union, National Mortuary and Funeral Workers Union (NAMLO), among others.

Speaking during a media briefing, Ashira said the meeting had made significant progress but ended without the agreement being signed after disagreements arose at the tail-end.

“We have spent almost the whole day here discussing and agreeing on many issues, only for the process to stall at the tail end. However, we have agreed in principle that within the next three days, the recognition agreements will be signed,” he said.

Ashira expressed concern over what he described as interference with the independence of the County Public Service Board by Governor Fernandez Barasa. He pointed out that the County Governments Act grants the board autonomy in carrying out its constitutional and statutory mandate.

He alleged that the county attorney had unnecessarily delayed the process despite the unions having fulfilled all legal requirements for recognition. Citing Section 54 1) of the Labour Relations Act, Ashira said a trade union is entitled to recognition upon attaining a simple majority of unionisable employees.

“Our union has complied with all the legal requirements and enjoys overwhelming membership among public health practitioners. There is no justification for delaying the signing of the recognition agreement,” he stated.

The KEHPHPU secretary general warned that failure by the county government to honour the agreement within the agreed three-day period would leave the unions with no option but to consider industrial action.

“We expect the county government to respect the law and conclude this process within the agreed timeline. If that does not happen, we shall consult with our members and take the necessary course of action, including a strike,” Ashira warned.

The recognition agreement is expected to pave the way for structured engagement between the county government and KEHPHPU on matters affecting environmental health and public health practitioners, including the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and improved labour relations.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Cypron Esolio and Billy Nasiali