The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Davji Atellah, has issued a seven-day strike notice to Nakuru, Kajiado, and Laikipia Counties.
In a press briefing on Sunday, May 4, Atellah noted that despite the county and national governments penning a return to work agreement last year with the union, the doctors in the three counties are still struggling with employment, promotions, medical insurance, and wages.
"We have been disappointed that doctors have expressed frustrations, particularly in Laikipia, Nakuru, and Kajiado. We want to say that it is a big shame that the county governments have doctors and workers who are not valued.
During the seven days, according to Atellah, the county governments should ensure that they honour the agreement and address the issues raised by medics in these counties, failure of which they will down their tools.
"Despite the strike that happened here in 2023 and despite the agreements signed on May 8, 2024, with both the county and national government, the county has not yet honoured the agreement on the promotion of doctors and the terms of employment of doctors," he stated.
"So today we have decided to put Nakuru county over these matters, and we also have a notice in Laikipia where it has decided to casualise doctors and not to do promotions and honour basic wages and health cover. Kajiado things are worse because they cannot enjoy medical insurance, even the Social Health Authority (SHA) deductions have not been remitted," he added.
On the other hand, Atellah, in another press briefing on Saturday, May 3, further slammed the County Governments of Kakamega and Bungoma for being reluctant to engage with doctors to halt the ongoing strike in the counties, which has been on for 21 days.
Atellah affirmed that the doctors will remain on strike, and the few who were allowed to provide medical care during the strike will also down their tools on Monday, May 5, until the county government has a meaningful engagement with them.
"Come Monday, there should be no doctors in hospitals. The doctors who are still in hospitals should be out because they are the ones who are being casualised, their rights have been deprived, and the country is disrespecting them. The time has come for us to fully close the hospitals from next week," he stated.
Atellah's Announcement comes days after the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General, Seth Panyako, also issued a strike notice over the poor handling of the healthcare sector by county governments.
Panyako, who spoke in West Pokot on Sunday, April 20, claimed that county governments have not been remitting statutory deductions, a factor that has led Nurses not to receive quality healthcare.
Furthermore, Panyako spotlighted that the devolved units have also been reluctant in hiring more nurses, which has significantly crippled their ability to deliver quality healthcare services.
"The county government of Trans Nzoia has been deducting salaries, but they have not been remitting money to pay for loans, their insurance covers, and union dues. It is not possible that you are offering health services and you yourself can't access the services," he said.
