Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has sent a surprise request to President Uhuru Kenyatta regarding senior government officials who have undermined efforts to end the ongoing doctors’ strike.
Atwoli requested President Kenyatta to punish Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri for undermining his Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu in the efforts made to end the two-month strike.
Atwoli, who had been chosen by the labour court to mediate talks between the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDU) union officials, withdrew from the process stating that his efforts had been undermined by constant infighting between Muraguri and Mailu.
"Dr Muraguri is not committed to ending the strike but instead seems determined to use the strike to settle an apparent score with Dr Mailu," Atwoli stated.
The COTU boss appealed to the President to move with speed and intervene in the dispute that threatens to paralyse operations in public hospitals for the third month.
Atwoli also revealed that some of the senior doctors who operate private hospitals have also been inciting the KMPDU officials to make unreasonable demands that have made it impossible to end the strike while at the same time giving the private facilities a chance to make more money.
He stated that as a result of his short-time intervention, he had brokered a significant increase in the basic salary earned by doctors.
The least paid doctor would take home Sh 196, 244 from the current Sh 140, 244 per month while highest paid doctor would have earned Sh588,980 up from Sh518, 580.
"I told the union officials to accept the offer first as we continue with the talks as has been the tradition in trade dispute resolution but they would hear none of this,” the veteran unionist stated.
