Union: Only four counties have implemented doctors' plan

Only four counties have fully implemented the return-to-work plan that made the 100-day doctors’ strike get called off on March 14, their union has said.

Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Makueni and Tana River have paid all their doctors full salaries from December 2016 when the strike began until April this year as well as enhanced allowances. These allowances would make doctors earn between Sh56,000 and Sh70,000 more per month.

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union secretary-general Ouma Oluga said this was “purely due to good will by the four counties”.

However, doctors in seven counties – Marsabit, Samburu, Narok, Bomet, Kajiado, Nakuru and Vihiga – are yet to receive their salaries for five months as well as the new allowances despite them having returned to work.

In an exclusive interview with Nation, Dr Oluga said: “The government made a promise not only to doctors but to all Kenyans, that we would be paid, a matter that was reinforced by President Uhuru Kenyatta.”

“It is thus surprising that 43 counties have not addressed this. We are afraid money for our salaries might have been used for campaigns and that there are people who are still angry with doctors. We went on strike because we wanted issues addressed,” he said.

ELEVEN COUNTIES

The audit by the union shows that 11 counties, while they have paid their doctors since December to last month, they have not beefed up the allowances. These are Kakamega, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Turkana, Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Mombasa, Kwale, and Taita-Taveta.

Interestingly, two counties – Bungoma and Tharaka-Nithi, paid their doctors half salaries for March when the strike was called off mid-month.

However, the national and county governments have failed to sign the collective bargaining agreement which was to be signed on May 14. Instead, the union has agreed to extend the timelines for the signing of the Recognition Agreement and the CBA. Therefore, the agreements will be signed on May 28 and June 3 for county and national governments respectively.

Dr Oluga, however, warned that if these timelines lapse without action, they will resort to several options including but not limited to industrial action or mass resignations.

This comes hours after the Council of Governors asked the Senate to reconvene urgently to approve Sh1.5 billion required to pay doctors as part of the agreement.

The allocation, the statement by the council said, had already been provided for within the national government supplementary budget but awaited the Senate’s approval.