The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union secretary general Davji Atellah has told Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Health CS Susan Nakhumicha not to question the doctors' decision to strike.
"Governor Sakaja and the CS should not question our strike. We signed a matrix with them," Atellah claimed.
He said the Constitution also stated that every worker has a right to hold peaceful demonstrations, noting that they are not scared of threats issued to them.
"It's not the first time we are getting threats. They are a passing wave," Atellah added on Citizen TV.
Sakaja last week issued an ultimatum to doctors affiliated with Nairobi who were participating in the ongoing countrywide strike by the medics to immediately resume duty.
He gave doctors in Nairobi 12 hours to return to work, insisting that he would not allow the lives of patients to remain at stake over issues he says can be resolved progressively.
“I have given the doctors of Nairobi 12 hours to show up in our hospitals. Those who want to continue working in Nairobi county, you have 12 hours to show up in our hospitals because the mandate that I have is to ensure that I provide healthcare to the people of Nairobi,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja stated that issues on the national government’s failure to post medical interns and non-adherence to doctors’ 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement are not directly related to the county's jurisdiction hence the Nairobi county-employed doctors should resume duty.
On her side, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha accused cartels in the government of sponsoring the ongoing doctors’ strike which entered its 10th day countrywide on Saturday.
“Saa hii mimi nimefanya kazi ya afya sasa wameanza kunionea wivu wanaleta nyenyenye...cartels ndio wanasponsor maandamano,"
This translates to: I have worked and some people have started to feel jealous. Cartels are the ones sponsoring the strike.
The doctors took to the streets calling for the ministry to honour the Collective Bargaining Agreement made in 2017.
Their grievances were the delayed posting of interns, fair remuneration of interns, postgraduate training, employment of more doctors and comprehensive health coverage for medics.
According to him, if the government is to achieve universal health coverage, it needs to address its concerns first.
