Governors Reject Doctors' Deal With Uhuru

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (center) with other governors including Makueni's Kivutha Kibwana at a press conference in January 2020.
Kakamega Senator Wycliffe Oparanya (centre) with other governors including Makueni's Kivutha Kibwana at a press conference in January 2020.
Daily Nation

UPDATE: Clinical officers on Tuesday, January 5, issued a 48-hour strike notice after the Council of Governors backtracked on a return to work formula (RTWF).

"It is with utmost shock that we learned of the letter by the COG Chair Wycliffe Oparanya to the CS Health distancing themselves from the RTWF that was given a clean bill of health by the President .

"We presume this is a call to extend the strike by the CoG," Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) General Secretary George Gibore.


Governors have rejected the return to work formula for doctors deal which was struck with the Ministry of Health following President Uhuru Kenyatta's intervention.

In a statement on Monday, January 4, the council of governors faulted that the deal which was signed 11 days ago and ended the doctors' strike.

The county heads noted that they were not properly consulted in the talks adding that each county should have been involved.

They added that there was no budgetary allocation to cater for the return to work formula in the current state.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya at Kenya School of Government (KSG) for a consultative meeting on February 20, 2020
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya at Kenya School of Government (KSG) for a consultative meeting on February 20, 2020
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke

Governors noted that they needed a special grant to honour the agreement.

The doctors had called for a strike which threatened to paralyse health operations in the country.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) acting Secretary-General Chibanzi Mwachonda revealed that Uhuru played a key role to end the doctor's strike.

"On that note, I would like to declare that the strike by KMPDU has now been called off, we shall continue further engagements to follow up on all other matters that were raised in the industrial action dated 16th November," noted Mwachonda.

On December 24, 2020, a meeting to end the healthcare workers strike was attended by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and Labour CS Simon Chelugui.

Kagwe hailed the dialogue between his Ministry and the healthcare workers adding that an end to the strike is a Christmas gift to Kenyans. 

"This is a new way of doing things, coming to the table and clearing issues. It is a win-win situation, nobody loses in this kind of discussion.

"I'm happy that we have come to this resolution at a critical time, we were hoping to give this gift to Kenyans over Christmas and we have managed to do so," explained CS Kagwe.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addressing the media on November 26, 2020
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addressing the media on November 26, 2020
File