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Doctors in Machakos County have issued a strike threat over alleged nonpayment of salaries for a period of three months.
The doctors, led by lower Eastern secretary general of Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Kirubi Kariuki claimed the county government had failed to release three-month salaries as ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The doctors, who held demonstrations at various streets in Machakos town before camping outside Governor Alfred Mutua’s office, threatened an industrial action if the county government fails to honor the president’s directive in the next seven days.
“We are not on strike right now. We are just petitioning the county government to honor the return to work formula and pay our salaries as directed by his Excellency the President,’ said Dr Kariuki.
Dr Kariuki said doctors took the move after efforts by the union officials to seek audience with the county government failed. “We have tried in several occasions to seek audience with the governor but it appears there’s no commitment on their part,” he said.
Kariuki wondered why basic services in the hospital especially laboratory services were non-functional. “It is very discouraging to see patients being referred to private institutions to pay for services which ought to be offered in this institution,” he added.
Contacted for comment, chief officer in charge of Health docket, Jack Nthanga admitted the doctors had not been paid but insisted that the national treasury had not released funds for their payment.
“It is true we have not paid them but the problem is not on our side. We have not received funds from the national treasury,” he said.
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