Casual workers at Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital protest over unpaid wages, poor working conditions

Zainab Hassan, who spoke on behalf of the workers, said that they have made numerous attempts to reach out to the county government, but their efforts have not yielded any results. (Photo: Handout)

By Abdirahman Khalif
Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Many of the protesting workers are mothers, some of them widowed, while others have been left to fend for their families after being divorced.

Mandera Referral Hospital staged a protest outside the hospital premises on Monday morning, demanding payment of their salaries, which they claim have been withheld for the past five months.

The workers, the majority of whom are women, expressed frustration over what they described as poor working conditions and mistreatment by the county government.

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The protest began as the workers sang songs and chanted slogans as they blocked the main gate of the hospital.

Their intention, they said, was to draw attention from both the hospital management and the county leadership to have their concerns addressed. As a result, normal movement at the hospital gate was disrupted.

Many of the protesting workers are mothers, some of them widowed, while others have been left to fend for their families after being divorced.

Speaking to members of the press, the workers described their situation as desperate and unbearable. They said that they have continued to report to work daily from 6:00 am, performing their duties without fail, only to return home with empty pockets.

Zainab Hassan, who spoke on behalf of the workers, said that they have made numerous attempts to reach out to the county government, but their efforts have not yielded any results. She stated that officials have repeatedly dismissed their complaints and shown no willingness to resolve the matter.

Several women casual workers at Mandera Referral Hospital staged a protest, accusing the county government of withholding their wages for more than five months. pic.twitter.com/muYQMXiH0s
— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) July 8, 2025

“We are poor women, some of them are single mothers after they were divorced, while others are widows. Our husbands are jobless and we have no other source of income. We have not been paid for five months,” said Zainab.

She added that due to their vulnerable position in society, the county government treats them with contempt and ignores their grievances.

“The county officials look down upon us. They treat us as if we do not matter. All we are asking for is to be paid for the work we have done,” she added.

Zainab explained that many of the women are now facing hardships that have extended to their children. Some of the children have been forced to drop out of school because their parents are unable to pay school fees or afford basic learning materials. Others no longer attend religious classes at the local madrasa, as their parents have been unable to clear fees, resulting in the children being sent away.

The women also shared that they have been relying on food bought on credit from nearby shops, with the promise of repaying once they are paid by the county. However, due to the prolonged delay in payments, many of the shops have now stopped extending credit, leaving them without a source of food.

Zainab concluded her statement by urging the county leadership, under Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif, to act immediately and resolve the crisis.

“We are your mothers, we are your sisters. Please the government should look into our issues,” she said.