Doctors have issued a two-week strike notice, citing salary arrears owed to health workers across over 40 counties.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has expressed frustration over the continued delays in payments, which they claim have created a financial crisis for doctors and other healthcare staff.
Dr Davji Atellah, KMPDU secretary general said the doctors' grievances are rooted in the persistent failure by county governments to honor their obligations to pay health workers on time.
The union has accused county governments of failing to prioritize healthcare workers’ welfare, with some counties owing salaries for up to five months.
The lack of timely payments, coupled with the already difficult working conditions, has severely demoralized medical staff, leading to burnout and mass resignations.
The impending strike, if not averted, could cripple healthcare services nationwide, particularly in public hospitals, leaving millions of Kenyans without access to essential medical care.
“Despite numerous calls for dialogue and intervention, little has been done to address the concerns of medical practitioners. Effective September 5, if the counties will not have paid doctors, we will withdraw our services. Let them not expect any services unless the salaries for July and August are paid,” Dr Atellah said.
He adds: "It is unacceptable that doctors who are at the forefront of saving lives have to endure months without pay. This situation is untenable and has left many of our members struggling to meet basic needs. We have been patient, but our patience has run out."
Among the issues that the doctors wanted the counties to address was also the issue of the lack of a comprehensive medical insurance for healthcare workers. KMPDU and the Council of Governors agreed to give counties 90 days after the signing of the return to work formula so that the counties can be able to meet the end of their bargain.
The 90 days lapsed on August 8th, and yet health care workers in several counties are yet to get their covers.
He singled out Nandi and Mombasa counties for withholding the doctor’s salaries for the month of March and April when doctors across the country had downed their tools.
Speaking to journalists, Dr Atellah stressed there were detrimental issues that they expected the counties to resolve but on their part, counties seem to have taken a back seat with claims that the national government has not released funding to counties.
County governments had requested a 90 day period to be able to adhere to the end of their bargain after the doctors agreed to call off their 56 day nationwide strike on May 8th 2024.
Dr Atellah highlighted that despite previous agreements between the union and the Council of Governors (COG), most counties have failed to implement salary and allowance payments as stipulated in the agreements.
The union claims that over 40 counties are in violation of these agreements, and health workers in those regions have been left in limbo, not knowing when they will receive their next paycheck.
“We have received a letter from the council of governors that indicated the money was in the supplementary budget of the ministry of health but they have not received the money to pay the doctors across the country that is the basic salary arrears for the last 7 years,” he says.,
He adds: “We will not relent. Since the signing, doctors have been patient but patients should not be confused for comfort.” Said a furry Dr Atellah.
Dr Atellah emphasized that the strike is a last resort, and the union is open to negotiations during the two-week window. "We do not want to go on strike, but we have been left with no choice. If the government cares about the health of its citizens, it must act now. We cannot continue working under these conditions," he said.
KMPDU wanted the national and the county government to resolve 19 key issues of which they agreed they will be resolved in a systematic manner.
In the event the issues that had been agreed upon in the return to work formula remain unmet, Kenyans may end up bearing the brunt of it all yet again when the doctors decide to down their tools due to an unmet bargain.
