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Raila Odinga Calls for Resolution in Kenya’s Doctor Strike Crisis
After weeks of silence on the country’s debilitating doctors’ strike, opposition leader Raila Odinga finally spoke out Thursday, April 11. The strike, which has seen negotiations between the state and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) come to a standstill, prompted Odinga to call for action.
Addressing the media in Nairobi, after an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Executive Committee meeting, Odinga urged the government and the KMPDU to “find a middle ground” to end the impasse and resume medical services. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the terms of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which sets medical interns’ salaries at Ksh.206,000.
“For the last seven years, interns have been earning Ksh.206,000 per month. These are actually the doctors running Level IV and many other public hospitals. There is no way an employer can reduce the salaries of employees mid-stream,” Odinga asserted. He added, “We ask the government to reinstate the Ksh.206,000 pay for interns until the next CBA negotiations, which is around the corner, kicks in. In that next round of negotiations both parties should put their cases on the table for consideration.”
The former prime minister also highlighted issues beyond intern pay, specifically the financial struggles of public doctors pursuing further education. “Counties are supposed to pay salaries of doctors who are enrolled for further studies while the Ministry of Health (MoH) is supposed to pay fees. My understanding is that while counties have kept their side of the arrangement, MoH has failed to do so since 2018.” He detailed the consequences of this failure, including doctors being unable to finish their education due to unpaid tuition fees.
The opposition leader condemned the hiring of doctors on short-term contracts and called for the establishment of fair and consistent employment practices. “Doctors are complaining about a free-for-all system where some employers have free will to decide what to pay. The result has been a very unequal system where doctors hired to do the same jobs experience a huge variation in salaries. The medical profession is too important to be managed this casually. The ministry must intervene for the doctors,” he stressed.
Mr. Odinga concluded by urging counties that have terminated the contracts of doctors who joined the nationwide strike to reconsider their decisions and reinstate them. He expressed a strong belief that if his proposals are implemented in consultation with KMPDU, it would “avert the crisis that is building up in the health sector and pave the way for less antagonistic engagement.”
“This is a crisis that has serious ramifications,” he warned. “We want this resolved. We had not spoken before and we want the government to take notice because we cannot remain silent for a longer time when this is persisting. We ask them to act now and if they don’t, the consequences will be grave.”
Azimio Threatens Street Protests in Solidarity with Striking Doctors
Leaders of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party Tuesday threatened to join ongoing doctors’ demonstrations if the government fails to resolve the current impasse.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, speaking on behalf of the opposition faction, criticized President William Ruto’s dismissal of the doctors’ demands for improved working conditions.
“This administration is failing its people,” Musyoka stated. “We are consulting, and if they don’t stop this strike, we as Kenyans will be free to join…(because) the only language this government understands is street protests.”
Eugene Wamalwa, leader of DAP-Kenya, echoed Musyoka’s sentiments. He highlighted the doctors’ constitutional right to strike and condemned the government’s potential use of force.
“Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has outlawed the strike, meaning teargas could be deployed as early as tomorrow,” Wamalwa said. “Azimio maintains that this is their right under Article 37. If the government resorts to teargas and force instead of addressing the root cause, we are prepared to stand with them.”
Musyoka further accused President Ruto of hypocrisy, demanding immediate action on the doctors’ grievances. He highlighted the suffering of families due to the ongoing slowdown in medical services.
These remarks follow President Ruto’s recent dismissal of the doctors’ demands for salary increases and intern stipends, citing the country’s already high wage bill. The President emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility, stating that Kenya cannot spend beyond its means.
“We understand and value the doctors’ service to the nation,” President Ruto said. “However, we must live within our means. Our resources are only enough to offer Ksh.70,000 as a stipend for intern doctors for one year before they are employed.”
Doctors Threaten Private Sector Strike to Pressure Govt
The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing doctors’ strike, threatening to mobilize its members in the private sector to withdraw services within the next week. This move significantly escalates the month-long industrial action that has crippled Kenya’s healthcare system.
KMA President Dr. Simon Kigondu refuted government claims that the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the doctors’ union was signed under duress. He said that the constitutional right to healthcare applies equally to all Kenyans, regardless of social class or political affiliation.
“Constitutional provisions of health care do not classify citizens as poor, middle class or those political ones who are making these decisions. Because the political class is not being affected and they have cover, in the next 7 days we will mobilize the private sector where they go, to support this course by withdrawing their services,” he said.
Dr. Kigondu criticized the government for failing to address the underlying issues that led to the strike, calling it a mere symptom of a sector in crisis. He pointed to the successful resolution of the 2017 strike through similar tactics, where private sector doctors withdrew services.
“We have called upon doctors to join demonstrations and strikes alongside the government. However, from Tuesday onwards, we will be asking our members in the private sector to withdraw their services until the demands affecting the health sector are met,” Dr. Kigondu said.
KMA’s announcement comes as the doctors’ strike, which began on Thursday, enters its 29th day, raising serious concerns about the health and well-being of Kenyans seeking medical attention.
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