Government’s Sh2.4 billion Offer to End Strike Rejected by Doctors
The government’s offer which aims to ending the ongoing strike stalemate has been rejected.
This comes hours after Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the government has secured Sh2.4 billion to facilitate the immediate deployment and posting of the 2023-24 cohort of medical student interns.
Koskei said the deployment of intern doctors will begin on Thursday and called on the union to suspend their strike amid ongoing mediation to resolve the remaining issues.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union chairperson Abi Mwachi has maintained that the government must honour the 2017-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement in totality.
However, Mwachi said they were not ready to take the government offer adding that the doctors in 2017 ended their strike based on promises which have never been met.
He said the release of the Sh2.4 billion is meant to cement what he termed as illegal salary cuts for junior doctors.
“Respectfully, we decline these proposals in total. We believe that genuine governments should honour their Collective Bargaining Agreements,” Mwachi said.
“The doctors of this country did nothing but believe in the promise of their government in 2017 where we ended a 100-day strike for the price of a promissory note. It is time to honour that promise. Respectfully.”
