Doctor Davji Atellah the Secretary-General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists & Dentists Union (KMPDU) on Monday, April 1 responded to threats from governors such as Nairobi's Johnson Sakaja over the ongoing doctors' strike.
While speaking in Kirinyaga County, Atellah asked the governors to accompany the threats with salary arrears for doctors who have been working for years with little to no pay.
"Any governor who is trying to threaten or to intimidate doctors should do so with cheques that have seven years arrears. It is a shame that some governors can issue these threats when some doctors have stagnated in one position for years," he stated.
Atellah further asked governors demanding doctors to go back to work to ensure that each medic has comprehensive medical coverage.
The SG emphasised that all county governments must address the issue of experienced doctors' and intern doctors' salaries before the strike is called off.
He lamented that some doctors in Kirinyaga had not been paid for over 65 days and did not know when their salaries would reflect in the bank. Atellah noted that the delay was also affecting statutory deductions.
"Some doctors have been in the same position for over five years with the same contract especially here in Kirinyaga. We are demanding that these doctors be given the right contracts on the right terms," he added.
Atellah also demanded the reinstatement of fired doctors in Kirinyaga. He argued that the county was going against court orders.
He reiterated that the strike would go on until their demands were met including the posting of medical interns to various hospitals. He further accused the governor of weaponising a court ruling to force doctors back to work.
"Our strike is a constitutional right and there is no amount of coercion or intimidation that will take it away from us. They have to obey the court orders that require them to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) before mentioning any other court order," he added.
Since the strike began on March 13, governors and other leaders have been issuing threats to force doctors back into hospitals as the health sector crumbles.
Governor Sakaja had issued a 12-hour ultimatum to city doctors adding they would be fired if the deadline lapsed. Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha had also issued a similar threat adding that the ministry would hire other doctors.
In the previous week, Kirinyaga Governor and Chairperson of the Council of Governors Anne Waiguru directed county governments to take any disciplinary action against doctors who fail to return to work.
