The nationwide doctors' strike has now lasted for 48 days. As a result, the Senate Standing Committee on Health and the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Health summoned several senior officials to a crucial meeting aimed at resolving the strike.
However, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha, Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu, CoG Chairperson Ann Waiguru, CoG Health Committee Chairperson Muthomi Njuki, Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Lyn Mengich and Labour CS Florence Bore were all absent from the meeting.
The officials had been summoned to shed light on why the strike had not been resolved and how to end the suffering of Kenyans caused by the ongoing strike.
As a result of their failure to appear on Friday, the key players involved in the strike have been ordered to appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee in May or face disciplinary and legal action.
The parliamentary committee, chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and Endebess MP Dr Robert Pukose, said its aim was to end the escalating strike that has crippled health services across the country.
"The following members are a no-show despite being formally invited. SRC chair, CS Health, CS Labour, CS Public Service, CS Treasury, and the Council of Governors(CoG) that did not even send a single representative—this is a slap in the face of Kenyans," Senator Mandago, who expressed disappointment, told the committee.
"I have a small boy in Nyeri who fell from a tree and hurt his spine two weeks ago. We have tried everything and gone to a number of facilities, but still, he has yet to get any treatment because medics have downed their tools and are no-shows.
Kenyans are suffering, it is so sad," Nyeri Town MP said.
"Shame on you, Governor Ann Waiguru! Kenyans are dying, and you people are not taking it seriously. We cannot proceed unless we have the Council of Governors, treasury and labour ministries, and SRC here," he said. "Health is a devolved function, so they must be here," he added.
"Unfortunately, governors have abandoned Kenyans. The death of over 500 Kenyans over the last 40 days due to lack of healthcare services is blamed on these members taking these meetings lightly," Seme MP Dr James Nyikal, who agrees with his colleagues, said.
A frustrated and disappointed Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna, told the parliamentary committee that this clearly indicated that devolving healthcare was a big mistake that is now hurting Kenyans.
"I have always been a big supporter of devolving healthcare, but the fact that CoG chair Ann Waiguru is a no-show for this very important meeting shows that counties are unable to deliver healthcare to Kenyans. My belief in counties delivering healthcare has gone down because the excuses given here are nothing to write about. You cannot say you cannot show up because you are busy milking your cow," he said.
Dr Pukose asked MPs to prioritise pushing the bill to establish some form of 'punishment' for governors and cabinet secretaries who skip crucial summons.
"We will see to it that it is passed. Speaking to Nation in an interview, KMPDU deputy secretary-general Dr Dennis Miskellah said he was not surprised that this had happened.
"As KMPDU representatives, we never miss any conciliation meetings. That's why you can see even our national chair is here.
This is how the government treats us. Then they go and publicly lie to Kenyans that they have negotiated and addressed 18 issues that we have agreed to. What issues? I am not surprised," he said.
Dr Miskellah further sought to clarify the Embu County government's allegations that he has absconded from work since 2018.
"Those are lies. I formally took an academic break and have been working at Kenyatta National Hospital. They have all those documents and the approval letter granting me study leave.
This is an attempt to malign my name and intimidate me for serving KMPDU members. That is why they fired me," he told Nation.
"I will continue fighting the good fight until something happens for the thousands of doctors and medics at large who are suffering. They hit our secretary general with a tear gas canister and are now trying to intimidate me. It will not work," he said.
Senator Mandago adjourned the meeting, asking those summoned not to skip as the lives of millions of Kenyans are on the line.
"They are hereby summoned to appear before this joint parliamentary committee on Thursday, May 2, at the Senate premises without fail."
