NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 12 – Medical union and associations have issued a seven-day strike notice over delayed payment of medics’ salaries in close to 40 counties.
According to the Kenya healthcare union, recommended the government should establish a mechanism to pay health workers from a central point.
“It should worry Kenyan of goodwill that over forty counties have neither paid health workers salary nor remitted statutory deductions, Counties that shall not have paid should not expect health workers to report on duty” the union indicated in a statement.
The union also highlighted that 10 years since the health function was devolved, no proper framework has been established to ensure healthcare services function efficiently and effectively.
“We have had numerous blame games between national and county governments concerning finances, drug and equipment acquisition, and employment of healthcare workers which have led to the detriment of the healthcare service delivery,” the statement further read.
It pointed out that civil servants have also not received their April salaries amid a worsening economic situation in the country
The concerns come at a time President William Ruto indicated the government will not borrow money to pay public servants wages even as he insisted that the situation is under control.
Speaking during the launch of the release of the report on evaluation of performance of ministries, state corporations and tertiary institutions, the head if state indicated that the government will source for its own funds through taxes and other means.
“I know we have an issue of delayed salaries, it is the first time this has happened but also it is the first time we are having such monumental debts. We are not borrowing money for recurrent expenditure including salaries” he said.
