Doctors reject Ruto plea to end strike, insist on full CBA implementation

Despite President William Ruto's appeal for striking doctors to accept the proposed salary increment and interns' allowance, the doctors have remained resolute in their refusal to return to work.

Speaking on Sunday during a church service at the AIC Church in Eldoret, Ruto said the country cannot afford the demands by the doctors as it is struggling with a huge wage bill.

This comes after the government released Sh2.4 billion to facilitate the immediate deployment and posting of the 2023–24 cohort of medical student interns.

However, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) rejected the offer, arguing that it had not fully honoured the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Ruto emphasised that doctors need to realise the country doesn't have the resources to raise wages for its workers.

He said the country is spending Sh1.1 trillion every year of the Sh2.2 trillion collected on salaries and wages.

The president stressed that the country must learn to use the available resources instead of resorting to borrowing to pay wages.

“I want to implore them (doctors) that it is important for us as a nation to agree that we must live within our means. We cannot continue to spend the money that we don’t have. And I am telling the doctors that we care about them, we value the service they give to our nation, but we must live within our means. The resources that we have are only sufficient to pay Sh70,000 for intern doctors. It is not a salary, it is a stipend for only one year, and then they will be employed,” he said.

“We want all our intern doctors to be taken in, and that is why we are going to spend the resources that we have to make sure all of them are absorbed at once.”

Doctors protest in Nairobi during the ongoing strike on March 22, 2024. (X/Davji Bhimji Atellah)

Ruto highlighted that Kenya's current wage bill stands at 47 per cent of revenue, exceeding the recommended 35 per cent. He emphasised the need for a dialogue to ensure that individuals earning salaries take responsibility for reducing this bill.

Additionally, he mentioned that he has reached an agreement with the cabinet to reduce the budget from Sh4.2 trillion to Sh3.7 trillion to align with the country's financial capacity.

“Our wage bill is 47 per cent of our revenue. It should be 35per cent according to the law. So we are way above. We need a conversation so that those of us who earn salaries are responsible. And we can reduce our wage bill so that we can free up more resources to create jobs for our young people,” he said.

However, while responding to Ruto’s plea, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah asserted that doctors refuse to be the centre of blame for the country’s huge wage bill.

He reiterated that doctors' salaries, which are determined by fair agreements in the CBA, should not be subject to negotiation or compromise.

“As doctors, we refuse to 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 the CBA, are non-negotiable. 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. We stand united against exploitation,” he affirmed.

He said they would hold a nationwide peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Nairobi, to uphold their rights to fair labour and quality healthcare for Kenyans.

The doctors' strike has now entered its 25th day. The union directed all its interns not to collect their internship letters until their demands are met.