Kirinyaga governor aspirants pledge to reinstate sacked medics

Four Kirinyaga governor aspirants have pledged to reinstate over 300 medics who were sacked after participating in an illegal strike in 2019.

They have equally pledged to reinstate the salaries of 77 others who agreed to voluntarily return to work at the height of the strike.

Former governor Joseph Ndathi, Narc Kenya's Martha Karua,  Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici and Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri have told off the county for rendering the medics jobless even after the Public Service Board authorised their reinstatement.

On Friday, Karua promised to reinstate the medics as soon as she assumes office.

She said it would be impossible to transform the standards of health, with a limited staff.

"We can not have quality health services if we have insufficient number of health officers," she said.

Last year, while gracing their end of year prayer event, the aspirants promised to reinstate the medics without conditions.

Ndambiri who was at the event apologised on behalf of an administration he termed as inhuman and oppressive.

He said the absence of medics is a big loss to the health  docket and a key contributor to the poor services offered in various health facilities.

Earlier this month, Ndambiri pledged to 'undo all the mistakes committed by Governor Anne Waiguru by streamlining the health docket which he says is among his priorities.

Ndathi has also weighed in on the matter. He said it is lame for the county to claim it had insufficient funds to reinstate the 77 medics to the payroll.

He blamed the county assembly for refusing to pass budget recommendations proposed by the executive. 

He said the county was simply reluctant in paying the medics their three year salaries and had now resorted to claims of financial constraints.

Ndathi also told off the county for firing  the medics and also promised t give them their jobs back  if he recaptures power.

"Since the PSC has already pronounced itself over the matter, who am I not to implement their directive," Ndathi said.

"All medics will have to report back to work the day after I'm sworn into office and pick from where they stopped prior to their sacking."

He said his administration also experienced such strikes but did not sack any health officers.

"Sacking a civil servant is a weighty matter. Should you be compelled to do it, there must be a very convincing reason,"Ndathi said.

County Assembly Health committee chair Erastus Ireri told the Star on phone that the assembly has not received any budgetary proposal from the executive for the salaries of the 77 medics.

A few weeks ago,the County secretary Joe Muriuki claimed the county was still grappling with insufficient budgetary allocations and was not in a position to facilitate the payments.

“There are various requirements that the board should abide by before issuing any appointment letters. It should take note of the available budgetary allocation," Muriuki said.

"In this case if they were to be reinstated in the said period, the county would be compelled to spend about Sh175 million which is not available."

County PSC Chair Kennedy Muriithi told the Health committee that despite the board issuing the affected medics with copies of reinstatement letters and issuing the same communication to the human resource nothing was done.

Last year, Muriuki also zeroed out the possibility of rehiring the over 300 medics and said their vacancies were filled by a new team.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)