The Labour Court on Tuesday, October 5, summoned Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu for disobeying court orders.
Presiding Judge Monica Mbaru noted that she must appear before the court on October 14, and explain why she should not face disciplinary action after dismissing court orders.
This is after the court, on October 5, ordered her to release doctors’ salaries that she had been holding from July, which she did not.
She is now set to appear before the court and explain why she did not release the funds and also defend herself for disobeying Justice Mbaru.
Ngilu has been summoned alongside three other officials; the County Service Board Secretary, the Clinical Executive Commissioner Health and Chief Officer in charge of Health.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) petitioned to court, accusing the Kitui county government of unlawfully holding back the salaries of 19 doctors.
In their petition, KMPDU argued that the salaries have been withheld since June and no one has bothered to give an explanation as to why that was so.
The 19 had applied for a 2-year full time paid leave to pursue higher studies, which the county government approved.
The workers were taking their post-graduate studies in the United States of America, Tanzania, Ukraine and some in Kenya.
KMPDU says that the Kitui County Government stopped their salaries abruptly in July, not giving any reasons why they were doing so.
It was after these events that the union filed the case in the Labour Court, demanding that the doctors be paid general damages which are equivalent to 12 months salary for each.
The court then gave the order requiring the devolved unit to release the salaries, which she failed to - necessitating the contempt of court charges.
