Doctors have responded to President William Ruto after he advised that they take the offer being offered by the government to call off their strike.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) SG Davji Atellah on Sunday said they will not backtrack on the issue of salaries.
Atellah spoke hours after President Ruto said that doctors need to understand that the country can't afford to increase salaries for its workers.
But in response, Atellah stated that what they're asking for now is what was agreed upon in the 2017 CBA after compromising with the government's requests at that time.
"The current salary for doctors, including interns, was offered by the government. We were demanding more but gave in to their demand," Atellah said.
"We can not backtrack on our salaries to exploitation in the name of the wage bill. The doctors' salary is anchored on CBA, and it is important like the salary of any Kenyan,"
"To control the wage bill, it can not be only doctors being the target for wage bill reduction. We shall strike harder. No penny will be lost on our hard-earned salaries as long as we are alive," the SG added.
Speaking at the AIC Church in Eldoret where he attended a Sunday service, President Ruto stressed that the county must manage within its available resources instead of resorting to borrowing to pay wages.
The Head of State said the government had offered to pay a stipend of Sh70,000 each for 1,500 interns for one year after which they would be employed.
"That is what we can offer and we have availed resources to have all the 1500 intern doctors absorbed at once", said Ruto.
The President mentioned that the country's wage bill is excessively high, currently standing at 47 percent of all revenue collected, instead of the recommended 35 percent.
"We can not continue to spend the money we don't have", Ruto noted.
The striking doctors said they will on Tuesday hold another march to advocate for the fulfillment of their demands.
They have been on strike since March 14, pressing the government to address the significant grievances they have outlined.
The SG said the public march to be held on Tuesday is meant to uphold the rights of doctors to fair labor and quality healthcare.
On Thursday, specialist doctors in public hospitals joined the three-week-old strike by their junior colleagues.
Earlier in the week, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the government released Sh2.4 billion to facilitate the immediate deployment and posting of the 2023/24 cohort of medical student interns.
KMPDU chairperson Abi Mwachi said they were not ready to take the government offer, adding that the doctors in 2017 ended their strike based on promises that have never been met.
