Doctors obtain orders stopping state from hiring Tanzanians

KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga (right) and chairman Samuel Oroko leave the Court of Appeal, March 13, 2017. /COLLINS KWEYU
KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga (right) and chairman Samuel Oroko leave the Court of Appeal, March 13, 2017. /COLLINS KWEYU

Doctors have obtained orders restraining the government from hiring 500 Tanzanian medics amid a shortage.

The medics went to court to stop the government from hiring the practitioners saying there are 1,400 unemployed Kenyans.

KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga said: "It would be very costly and therefore a show of imprudent public finance management to have 500 Tanzania doctors at Sh20,000 per day."

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The Labour court made the ruling on Friday saying it will be in effect until the doctors' application is heard and determined

"That leave is hereby granted...to

quash the decision of the government...to hire foreign doctors to be deployed to Kenya," read court papers dated March 31.

The court certified the matter as urgent and gave the government 21 days to respond to the application by the health workers.

The matter will be mentioned on April 19.

On March 18, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said they will send 500 doctors to Kenya to help address the shortage.

But the move has been opposed by several leaders. On Thursday, National Super Alliance co-principal Raila Odinga dismissed the plan saying it was

misinformed, considering the high number of young qualified Kenyan doctors who lack jobs.

"It is disappointing that the government is seeking to recruit 500 foreign doctors yet there are hundreds of doctors looking for work," Raila said.

"We need to invest in resolving our policy problems in a way that leaves our citizens motivated and willing to serve our country."

He said the recent doctors strike was brought about by the many hiccups in the management of the health sector.

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