By BRIGID CHEMWENO, WILBERFORCE NETYA and MAURINE ABWAO
Kenya: Doctors have threatened to strike if county governments do not restore deducted allowances.
They also protested against delay in paying salaries. Through Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the doctors attributed the delay and the deductions to devolution of their payrolls.
Speaking in Nairobi, KPMDU chairman Victor Ng’ani said salaries of doctors in Baringo, Mandera and Busia counties were reduced by 20 per cent of the gross pay, while in other counties doctors were yet to receive their salaries.
Dr Ng’ani said doctors from Baringo, Mandera and Busia did not receive their non-practicing and hardship allowances. “With doctors salaries being paid at the county level, the county governments have taken to a mischief of channelling funds meant for the health sector and health workers’ salaries to projects,” said Ng’ani.
He said KMPDU would not accept actions that undermined the welfare of its members, and was ready to take extraordinary measures, including complete and indefinite withdrawal of services.
Dr Ng’ani dismissed reports by county governments that the delays and deductions were a result of a payroll error.
“We refuse to accept the excuse by the county governments, and we believe that these excuses are a continuation of cultural dishonesty as politicians are using the money to make their trips abroad, purchase houses and vehicles for their comfort,” he claimed.
He said the country was facing a shortage of 36,000 doctors, yet the Government was putting tough measures that hasten exit from the profession. “Many doctors have moved from public to private sectors while some have relocated overseas due to the meagre pay. This is posing risk to Kenyans, who cannot afford private hospitals,” said Ng’ani.
Deductions
KMPDU Secretary General Sultani Matendechero said after giving hefty pay hikes to politicians, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission was now asking public servants to be mindful of the wage bill.
“We ask all the counties to reinstate all the withdrawn allowances and release doctors salaries with immediate effect or we will withdraw our services until these issues are satisfactorily resolved,” he said.
In West Pokot, health workers yesterday took to the streets to protest deductions of their perks.
The over 200 workers peacefully marched to Governor Simon Kachapin’s office in Kapenguria demanding an explanation for the deductions.
Area union boss Simon Konocho decried the deductions that had left some of them penniless.
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Konocho said some of the staff had received half of their usual pay.
“We wonder why the county government had to deduct our allowances without our knowledge in an action that this is against the spirit of the Constitution,” lamented Konocho. He cited health risk, hardship and non-practicing allowances as among the chopped perks.
Contacted by The Standard on Saturday, Governor Kachapin said the deductions were due to an error that may have occurred during the payroll system transfer from the national government to the counties.
“We are working to ensure that the problem is sorted out… We guarantee that all will be right,” pledged Kachapin.
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