Kilifi doctors ordered to return to work or face the sack

Kilifi doctors are at risk of losing their jobs for failing to report to work amidst the ongoing nationwide strike, which is in its fourth week.

In a statement, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro issued a stern warning on Friday, stating that those absent from work will not receive their salaries and may ultimately be dismissed.

“In each day that they fail to report to work, they will not receive payment and if this persists, they will be asked to leave. Currently, all individuals who have not reported to work since the commencement of the strike will face suspension,” he said.

Mung’aro noted that the county had engaged in a constructive dialogue with the doctors regarding their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), covering internships and promotions in December 2023.

He expressed disappointment that Kilifi doctors had joined the nationwide strike despite the county's efforts to address their concerns.

The governor highlighted actions taken by the county to resolve grievances, including promotions, salary increments, and payment of arrears, before the strike.

“I ensured that three months prior to the strike's onset, doctors who were awaiting promotions got promoted, those seeking salary increments had their demands met, and outstanding arrears were settled. In fact, some individuals received surplus payments. They should even return the excess to the appropriate account. So, I can’t see any reason why a Kilifi doctor should be participating in the strike,” he said.

Mung’aro urged doctors to prioritise serving the residents of Kilifi and emphasised the importance of continuing essential medical services. He underscored that the doctor’s solidarity with their union in the strike should not come at the expense of Kilifi residents' healthcare needs.

“If they claim solidarity with their union, then as governor, I could similarly align with counties failing to pay their employees for months on end. Some counties neglect their workers for four or five months, and I could join in solidarity with them. But I choose not to. My plea to the Kilifi doctors is simply this: continue serving the residents of Kilifi. There is no justification for us to continue disbursing salaries while you strike merely because your counterparts elsewhere are doing the same,” he said.

Other counties, including Nyeri, Kakamega, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, and Kisumu, have also set a stern warning for striking doctors who will fail to return to work.

However, doctors have maintained that they will not succumb to threats and intimidations until all concerns outlined in the strike notice are satisfactorily addressed.

Meanwhile, several leaders across the country, including President William Ruto, have pleaded with the doctors to call off the strike, saying the doctors should understand that there is a limit to what the government can spend on their salaries and allowances.

He said the government values the work of doctors and interns in the health sector, but the country cannot continue to live beyond its means to comply with their demands.

“The resources we have are only sufficient to pay Sh70,000 for intern doctors. This is not a salary; it is a stipend for only one year. Afterwards, they will be employed,” he said.

The president explained that the government has the funds needed to absorb all the 1,500 doctor interns at a salary of Sh70,000 a month.