Kenya Offers Intern Doctors Sh70k Salary Due to Budget Constraints
Kenya's healthcare system remains under strain as the nationwide doctors' strike enters its second month.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the government continue to lock horns over salary disputes with neither side willing to budge on their core demands. At the heart of the conflict lies the issue of intern doctors' salaries. The KMPDU insists on honoring the 2017 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which stipulates a monthly salary of Sh206,000 for interns. However, the government, citing a severe economic crisis, maintains it cannot afford such a wage increase. Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has urged doctors to accept the Salaries and Remuneration Commission's (SRC) offer of Sh70,000 while recognising the nation's financial constraints.
However, the union remains unconvinced. Former KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga points out that even when intern doctors received a higher salary in the past (Sh78,000 in 2011), protests erupted. The union's very formation in 2011 stemmed from a desire to prevent such situations. Oluga emphasizes the need for the government to uphold the 2017 agreement. The strike has reached an impasse, with both sides refusing to compromise. The government's threats to replace striking doctors and the doctors' defiance have further escalated tensions.
To prevent the crisis from spiraling further, the Ministry of Health requested and received a 14-day extension for negotiations from Justice Byrum Ongaya. This offers a glimmer of hope for a resolution. The responsibility now falls on both parties to utilize this period productively. The doctors continue to demand full implementation of the 2017 CBA, while rejecting the government's recent offer of Sh2.4 billion intended for deploying newly graduated interns. The Head of Public Service has tied this deployment to the suspension of the strike. The ongoing strike by doctors in Kisumu County has taken a new turn with Governor Anyang' Nyong'o issuing a stern warning that the striking medical professionals will not be compensated for the days they have not reported to work.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Governor addressed the grievances raised by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), asserting that a comprehensive review has revealed that the county has satisfactorily addressed the majority of the issues outlined in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). According to Nyong'o's statement, the county has diligently addressed several key concerns including the timely recruitment of doctors, ensuring prompt salary payments, providing comprehensive medical coverage for healthcare workers, facilitating access to mortgages and loans, granting allowances for doctors to pursue further studies, and implementing a structured promotion framework for healthcare professionals.