- National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi has warned that other Kenyans could join doctors' strike in solidarity.
- Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw'ah said the government is working on rationalising pay for all interns across all professions.
Image: FILE
National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi has warned that the ongoing doctors' strike could snowball into a major crisis saying other Kenyans are planning to join them.
The Ugunja MP said that the government is yet to show goodwill in handling the strike which entered day 27 on Tuesday.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday, Wandayi said Kenyans of goodwill will soon hit the streets in solidarity with the striking doctors.
"The way we are dealing with the doctors' strike means that issue will not go away, something needs to be done to get the doctors out of the streets," Wandayi said.
"I have heard that other Kenyans are planning to join the doctors unless something happens."
The MP regretted that while the government is talking tough against the doctors, little is being done to address the outstanding issues they have raised.
"This house must come in and solve the issue head-on regardless of who is right and who is wrong," Wandayi said.
Wandayi said he encountered difficulties when accessing parliament on Tuesday because the doctors were protesting outside parliament.
"I had difficulties accessing Parliament myself for a few moments. What are we doing to ensure that doctors get out of the streets?" he asked.
However, National Assembly Health Committee chairperson Robert Pukose said the ministry has already written posting letters to all intern doctors.
He urged the doctors to get out of the streets because their petition was already before the house for processing.
"I want to urge the doctors to go and pick posting letters from the ministry, the letters are ready," said the Endebes MP.
On his part, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw'ah said the doctor should get out of the streets and give dialogue a chance.
He also blamed county governments for their failure to seriously deal with the challenges in the health sector saying they must take responsibility for the standoff.
"Please your issues can't be solved by blocking the gates of Parliament. Please medical interns go and pick up your letters and get down to work," Ichungw'ah told doctors.
Doctors went into the streets to agitate for better working conditions and improvement of the remuneration saying the government has failed to honour a binding MoU signed years back.