President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered that doctors be paid salaries for the three months they were on strike.
He said the Government will do so even though they did not work and many Kenyans seeking services in public hospitals suffered at the time.
At the same time, President Kenyatta warned that future strikes would be met with automatic dismissal from employment.
The President said it was unfortunate that people who have been educated by taxpayers and taken an oath to treat patients without favour, violated it, leading to suffering.
"You took an oath to treat patients whether it is day or night; you swore to save life with or without money," he emphasized.
Kenyatta's directive comes just days after the doctors, through the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a new strike warning after the government failed to pay their dues as agreed upon.
The doctors had 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.
The President added that through the Managed Equipment Services project, Kenya’s healthcare has been transformed and Kenyans can now access specialised healthcare services near them.
He also singled out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), saying it has been improved to be the insurance for all Kenyans.
President Kenyatta spoke when he toured Kiambu County where he thanked residents for heeding his call to register as voters in huge numbers. He was accompanied by his deputy William Ruto.
