The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) on Monday issued a new strike warning after the government failed to pay their dues as agreed upon.
The union had given the government a two-week grace period to pay all doctors their salaries for the three-month period they were on strike, but the government failed to pay even as the deadline expired yesterday.
The doctors have accused the government of frustrating their efforts as the Ministry of Health directed all the County Governments not to pay salaries to all doctors who had been on strike.
According to the union, county governments had already started processing payment for the doctors, but a letter from former Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri directing counties not pay the striking doctors halted the process of payment, hence, undermining the signed return to work formula.
The union further argues that the decision to pay had been agreed upon in the signed return-to-work formula and should be honoured. The government, however, argues that the accumulated amount of Sh3.2 Billion was unjustifiable and could not be honoured.
The union, therefore, issued the government with a stern warning that they should fulfil their part of the deal or face unspecified actions from the doctors.
The threat from the doctors comes only a few weeks after they signed a return-to-work formula with the government bringing an end to the over 100-day strike.
The matter if not amicably resolved could see the country face another medical crisis as doctors down their tools.
