Governors convene emergency meeting amid nationwide doctors' strike

The Council of Governors (CoG) has called an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the nationwide doctors strike and implementation of court orders issued by the Employment and Labour Relations court last week.

Plans to hold the crucial meeting came at a time when the nationwide strike entered its 13th day with doctors from Nakuru and Meru counties taking to the streets to push the government to heed to their call.

Doctors, medical interns and medical students in Nakuru demonstrated, marching from the Nakuru Annex Hospital, through the Governor's office, to the Nakuru County Assembly and the Nakuru Teaching and Referral HospitaL.

The protests that lasted close to 4 hours aimed at pressuring the government to act fast on doctors demands including implementing the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.

"We are out for a reason and those reasons are not solved we will not go back to work….our peaceful demos to urge the government to fasten their belt to ensure the issues are sorted as fast as possible," said Steven Omondi, Secretary, KMPDU, South Rift Region.

 In Meru County, doctors staged demonstrations in Meru town where they took issue with the government over plans to post medical interns from April 1 after slashing their stipends by over 90%.

"By reducing their stipends, we shall not accept, we are citizens of this country," KMPDU Easter Region Chairperson Dennis Mugambi said.

Patients seeking services in public hospitals continue to suffer as the doctors strike persists. At the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, theatre services have been halted.

The Council of Governors (CoG), through its chairperson Anne Waiguru issued a notice to its members that an extraordinary meeting scheduled to take place Wednesday March 27 will address the issue of the doctors strike as well as a court order issued by the Labour and Employment court on 15th March.

A section of MP’s called on President William Ruto to address the demands by doctors and bring the strike to an end.

"Give a 7-day ultimatum to work on doctors strike or the teams on the ground will give next course of action," Githunguri MP Gathoni Wa Muchomba said.

"The CS for health has proven to be very incompetent, talking in rallies and funerals. We want that CS to step aside  and we will bring an impeachment motion against the CS. We want the president to hold a meeting with KMPDU," said Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

Meanwhile, medical laboratory officers have threatened to join the doctors in the nationwide strike, giving the government a 7 day notice starting Tuesday.

Through the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers, the laboratory officers want the government to immediately confirm all Universal Health coverage  workers, COVID Health Emergency Response , UHC interns and National TB and Lung diseases Global Fund Employees, those employed through hospital Boards on Permanent and Pensionable terms

"The reconciliation committee comprising cabinet secretaries from the Ministries of Health, Labour and Treasury, the Head of Public Service, KMPDU officials ,Salaries and Remuneration Commission, County governments and national referral hospitals will hold another meeting on Wednesday a second attempt at  ending the impasse," Pius Nyakundi, Secretary General, KNUMLO, said.