Kenyan doctors say they will not be calling off the strike initiated nearly one month ago, despite calls from President William Ruto's appeal over the weekend.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) downed tools on March 14 over the non-payment of salary arrears, delays by the government to deploy medical interns, and other grievances.
Ruto appealed to doctors on Sunday to go back to work and end the strike that has hampered health services in the country.
“I know we have a situation in Kenya facing our doctors and medical doctor interns, but I want to implore them that we as a nation need to agree that we must live within our means, fellow countrymen and women,” Mr. Ruto said.
The doctors union refused to budge, insisting they would not be ‘’scapegoats for wage bill reduction.’’
‘Our salaries, vital like any Kenyan's, are based on fair agreements. Despite government pressure, doctors' salaries, anchored on CBA, are non-negotiable,’’ wrote Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, National Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union, on X.
KMPDU plans to hold a nationwide peaceful protest across the nation on April 9.
‘’We won't compromise on fair compensation for our hard work. It's unjust to target us for wage bill control while state officers enjoy hefty paychecks,’’ Atellah wrote on X.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
