Gov’t Urges KMPDU to Allow Intern Doctors to Resume Work with Ksh. 70K Pay
In an effort to avoid a nationwide doctors’ strike, the government has urged the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to allow intern doctors to resume work with an interim payment of Ksh. 70,000. This request was made by Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai during a session before the Public Accounts Committee, where he was pressed to explain why the ministry had not yet honored the return-to-work deal signed in May, which ended a 56-day strike.
Kimtai emphasized that while the government had committed to paying Ksh. 3.4 billion in arrears to settle the issue, KMPDU is still opposed to the temporary payment offer. The union has refused to accept the Ksh. 70,000 for the interns, as they insist on the full implementation of a 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that promises Ksh. 206,000 per month for medical interns.
The delay in payment has caused significant mental distress among interns, with some reportedly taking their own lives due to frustration. KMPDU has warned that if the government fails to fulfill its promises, it will initiate another strike, which could occur before the year ends.
Gov’t Urges KMPDU to Allow Intern Doctors to Resume Work with Ksh. 70K Pay
