The Government has withdrawn an enhanced offer of Sh14.5 billion it had made to the doctors in a bid to bring the over three-month-long strike by the medics to an end.
The striking doctors had been offered a 50 percent salary increment and an additional Sh600 million, as backdated allowances, that was offered as a sign of goodwill. These offers would have pushed the doctors' annual wage bill to an excess of Sh14.5 billion.
The medics, however, rejected the offer and returned to their demand for the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to be signed.
In a joint press conference in Naivasha, Council of Governors Chairman Peter Munya - in the presence of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the rest of the Governors - ordered the doctors to return to work immediately, failure to which disciplinary action would be taken against them.
"This additional offer was on condition that the doctors call off the strike and report to work today (Tuesday) morning. Consequently, as a result of the doctors failure to call off the strike, the government has now rescinded this offer and there will be no further negotiations on remuneration," Munya stated.
The Meru Governor added that doctors who had already reported to work would receive the new allowances with effect from January 1, 2017.
"Those doctors who are on strike and are willing to return to work are expected to resume duty at their respective duty stations with immediate effect," the COG Chairman mentioned.
Post-graduate medical students sponsored by the government were also directed to report to their duty stations with immediate effect while interns were ordered to report to their internship centres to complete their training.
The new orders came hours after a report was presented to the Court of Appeal indicating that President Kenyatta had agreed to increase risk allowances for the doctors.
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