Kenyan Doctors Issue Fresh Strike Threats

Just months after the doctors called off a three-month-long strike, the medics have issued a fresh threat to down their tools after county governments failed to honor a deal that haled the three months strike.

A return-to-work deal was agreed between the medics and the employer ending the 100-day doctors' strike (the longest in Kenya's history) after several botched negotiations led by Religious leaders and Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Ouma Oluga said that their employers have failed to implement the agreement of paying the medics for the three months they skipped work despite orders from the President calling for their pay.

"We won't work without pay, so if anyone wants to replay the 100 days of the doctors strike, we won't hesitate to give them another 200," said Oluga.

Last week, the Council of Governors chairman and Meru Governor Peter Munya said that the doctors had not been paid since the National Treasury had not disbursed the cash to facilitate the pay.

According to Ouma, some officials from the county government and the Ministry of Health were victimizing the doctors over the unpaid dues. Ouma revealed that doctors had not received salaries for four to five months making hard for them to continue working

The medics have given the employers a 7-day ultimatum to pay their dues, failure to which they will take appropriate action.