Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Monday revealed persons inciting the Kenya Medical practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials to hold on to the strike.
In a television interview, Atwoli disclosed that senior doctors were maliciously 'misadvising' the KMPDU officials in order for their private businesses to continue benefiting from the industrial action.
"Senior doctors were misadvising the union officials and this is because of their own interests of running private and healthcare clinics and so forth. Since all Government hospitals, clinics and dispensaries are closed, the private health providers are making a lot of money. So they misadvised the union officials for their own interests and benefits [sic]," Atwoli said.
The COTU Secretary General highlighted that the Government was willing to negotiate with the medics but the KMPDU officials remained firmly adamant.
Atwoli, who was the chief mediator between the doctors and the Government, added that there were infighting between Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri which paralysed the negotiations.
Earlier, Atwoli pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to punish Mr Muraguri for undermining the CS during the talks.
On Monday, seven KMPDU officials were thrown in jail for contempt of court.
Read Also: Doctors' Union Officials Jailed
The sentencing caused an uproar in the country with the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) directing all private and faith-based health facilities to halt operations starting today midnight.
Read Also: All Private Hospitals Ordered to Close Starting Midnight
