Striking doctors to receive show cause letters Tuesday – Sakaja

The county government of Nairobi will today (Tuesday) dispatch show cause letters to striking doctors in the city, Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced.

Speaking during an interview with Radio Jambo, Sakaja said there are about 300 doctors who have not reported to work in their respective stations.

“They are getting show cause letters today to explain why they have not reported to work,” he said.

A show cause letter provides a person with an opportunity to respond and explain why they should not be disciplined or fired.

If one believes the allegations against them are unfounded or unfair, they are required to write a response explaining their position.

Sakaja said doctors in Nairobi, unlike their counterparts in other areas, have no reason to strike.

“In normal circumstances, employees go on strike when they are in disagreement with the employer. The issues they have raised have nothing to do with my administration,” he explained.

He said hiring of interns is an issue of the national government and not his administration.

“On provision of a comprehensive medical cover, I have the best insurance for them. Doctors in Nairobi cannot also complain of salary delays and absorption of doctors who were hired by Nairobi Metropolitan Services is before the court,” he added.

Sakaja further castigated the striking doctors for disregarding a court judgement that said doctors and nurses cannot go on strike unless there is a specified minimum number of medics who are attending to patients.

A three-judge bench of the Labour Court ruled in 2021 that the law governing essential services in the country allows public employers to determine the classification of employees who must continue to work during a work stoppage.

They found that the government has the right to dictate the number and names of employees within each classification and the essential services that are to be maintained.

Sakaja said striking doctors should ensure a number of them continue with work to save lives.

“Why are the doctors going on strike without leaving a number at the hospitals to take care of patients,” Sakaja posed.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union and the government have so far held two meetings to unlock the current deadlock, but none has yielded the desired results.

Both parties will meet at the negotiation table again on Thursday for a meeting convened by the Head of Public Service and enforced by the courts.

The doctors took to the streets calling for the ministry to honour the Collective Bargaining Agreement made in 2017.

The governor noted that doctors who will not have reported to work by Thursday morning will be deemed to be not interested in working with Nairobi County.