Nyeri County doctors now face sacking, after the county halted salary payments for 59 out of 62 doctors still participating in the ongoing nationwide strike.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, April 9, Governor Kahiga issued a directive to dismiss the doctors, if they failed to return to work.
“The government is now left with no option but to take action against the striking doctors,” Mutahi Kahiga stated.
“I hereby instruct the Department of County Public Service Management and County Treasury to stop salary payments to the affected doctors.”
Kahiga argued that the county was struggling to deliver medical services to its residents, despite having 139 employers on their payroll.
“The county issued 62 letters to doctors on strike, and only three responded,” Khiga noted.
The County chief further faulted the doctors for defying orders, which has posed a great risk to the health of Nyeri County residents and others seeking medical care from outside the area.
Acting in his capacity as the Chairman of the Labour Committee in the Council of Governors (CoG), Kahiga maintained that moving forward, discussions were underway at both the National and the County government levels to resolve the issues in the health sector.
On April 6, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli announced plans to mediate talks between the doctors and the government to end the ongoing strike.
“We cannot make a decision for the government or doctors but we can narrow the gap on issues and get a Return to Work Formula,” Atwoli stated.
President William Ruto on his end maintained that the country was in no capacity to pay intern doctors as per their wishes, maintaining the stipend will be Ksh70,000 per month for the first year before they are absorbed as full doctors.
The doctor's strike has persisted for over four weeks, as the government's efforts to reach an agreement proved futile.
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