Public health officers, lab technicians threaten strike over Duale’s directive
They are opposed to a "hurried and blind transitioning" of their members intoKenya National Public Health Institute
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) and the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) have threatened to disrupt services in the next seven days as they demanded a legal framework in the transition of their members into the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI).
The two unions have termed the directive issued by Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale last week as a hurried and blind transitioning of their members into KNPHI, adding that it is the sole mandate of the Public Service Commission (PSC) in consultation with the relevant stakeholders to do so.
“We are going to disrupt services by calling out our members to the streets as well as seek legal redress on the same. We strongly oppose the directive by CS Duale to hurriedly and blindly transition our members to KNHPI without legal frameworks,” KEHPHPU Secretary General Brown Ashira said to the press earlier today at a Nairobi hotel.
According to the leaders of the two unions, KNHPI must be led by a mix of implementing cadres including the Medical laboratory technicians and the public Health officers and not as it is currently.
They added that the Institute needs to develop a clear human resource instrument and invite stakeholders for validation before its operationalisation.
“The Institute needs to advertise its officers and equally have its budget set by the parliament. We are opposed to the transition of staff and public health assets to the institute,” KNUMLO chairman Nicholas Odipo stated.
Ashira has questioned the formation process, claiming the leadership of KNPHI was biased towards clinical cadres and sidelined critical public health officers and laboratory technicians.
He pointed out that Duale’s order is a violation of Article 118 and Article 196 of the Constitution, the Employment Act and the Public Service Commission Act.
“Until proper frameworks are put in place, we oppose the directive by the Cabinet Secretary to hurriedly and blindly transition our members to KNPHI,” he stated.
Their demands come after Duale last week notified Principal Secretaries Mary Muthoni and Dr Ouma Oluga of the transition of select public health and laboratory functions to KNHPI without a proper and clear legal framework.
In the directive, Duale indicated that 13 divisions, including the Division of Disease Surveillance and Response (DDSR), the Division of Vector-Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the Division of Zoonotic Diseases (ZDU), Division of National Public Health Laboratories (NPHLS), the Division of Quality Improvement Infection Prevention Control and Antimicrobial Resistance, and the Division of Health Emergencies and Disaster Risk Management, will be moved to KNHPI.
Others are the Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Division of Health Informatics, Division of Research & Innovation, Division of Port Health Services: Division of Food Safety, Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and the Division of Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (FELTP).
Additionally, he directed that KNPHI would take lead in the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, the Pandemic Treaty, Pandemic Preparedness Fund Application, and other bilateral agreements, working arrangements, and support previously managed by the mentioned divisions.
