Health workers in fresh strike threat as State gives in to KNH demands

By ABIGAEL SUM

Kenya: Health workers have threatened to boycott work over the ongoing plans to transfer payment of their personal emoluments to county governments.

Doctors, nurses and clinical officers through their unions said the move is being made without consultations with health workers.

Kenya Medical, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Sultani Matendechero said due process was not followed; terming such plans as unlawful and will be resisted at all costs.

“We are calling for immediate reversal of the ongoing process, failure to which, no means shall be spared in ensuring the constitutional rights of our members are protected,” said Matendechero.

The health workers noted that their efforts to reverse the move through diplomatic means of engagement have been met with lack of serious from the Government.

“We have tried engaging in talks with the Government in the last four weeks to reverse the process of transferring payment of our salaries and allowances to county governments but the attempts have been unfruitful,” said Victor Ng’ani, Chairman of KMPDU.

The Union maintained the county governments do not have the structures to handle such responsibilities before some are not fully operational with Cabinet secretaries in other counties yet to be vetted.

Meanwhile, industrial action by workers at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has been suspended after Government caved in to pressure and agreed to pay their demands.

Cabinet Secretary for Health James Macharia yesterday announced the Government will pay the workers in full as per terms of the Comprehensive Bargain Agreement (CBA) reached effective July.