The health workers caucus has issued a forty-day strike notice if county health employees are not paid.
During a press conference, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary-General Davji Bhimji Atellah stated that they have not been paid for two months in the counties of Meru, Kisii, Garissa, Muranga, Taita Taveta, and Embu and demand action, failing which they will paralyze health sector operations.
“There counties that have not paid health workers in forty days, in November will go on a strike until the matter is resolved,” he said.
The union further cited other challenges in the health sector, including low budget compared to the baseline of fifteen per cent.
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Secretary-General George Gibore noted there is a need to develop a strategy for effective Human Resources for Health (HRH) management and harmonization of terms of service of health workers across county governments.
“The new government should immediately resume CBA negotiations with the aim of finalisation and registration with labour courts. Embracing social dialogue and stakeholders’ participation in the management of health with the view to avert perennial industrial actions,” Gibore said.
They further requested the formation of a task force that will form the Ministry of health, council of governors and health sector unions to assess health workforce challenges across the 47 county governments and recommend policy and legal interventions to address them.
