KMPDU boss Atellah Davji and Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union secretary general Davji Atellah on Monday evening clashed with Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o over salary delays.
KMPDU boss Atellah Davji had said that six counties were set to strike on April 18, 2023, with Kisumu being one of them.
He confirmed that Kisumu is yet to pay its workers salaries for March 2023.
He said Kisumu healthcare workers had issued a notice of the strike to court and were cleared to strike.
“There are 12 counties that are going to stage a walkout. It is not necessarily a strike. This is particularly for salaries, and one of the counties in Kisumu. It has not paid salaries for March. February salaries were paid in April,” said Davji.
Nyong’o responded by suggesting he had agreed with Kisumu healthcare that they would not go on strike despite the salary delays.
“Kisumu people are not going on strike, we know how to solve our problems,” said Nyong’o.
We already have agreed on a very amicable solution to our problems.”
Others on the panel were Davji Atellah, the secretary-general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU), and Patrick Munene, the Chuka Igambang’ombe MP and vice-chairperson of the Health Committee in the National Assembly.
The county boss went on to attribute the healthcare crisis in the counties to the national government’s failure to remit the revenues entitled to the counties.
“Let’s get health financing correct. Health is a county function, but there are aspects of it that are national functions. Healthcare delivery is also in private hands; those should be regulated,” he said.
Health workers in 12 counties have vowed to go on strike starting April 19, 2023, over non-payment of salaries, six unions representing them have announced.
In a letter to the counties, the health workers said they will not be able to attend work as scheduled as of April 19, 2023, due to the non-payment of their previous month’s salaries and statutory deductions.
The health workers also cited occasional delays in salary payment in other months as their reason for striking.
The unions said the health workers are in a difficult financial situation and ‘as a result, they are unable to meet their daily needs, including transportation, food, and accommodation expenses’.
The health workers are drawn from Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyamira, Kisii, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, Bomet, Nyamira, Embu, Vihiga and Taita Taveta.
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