Kidero in huge climbdown on doctors’ pay
Doctors in Nairobi County have received their salaries for the duration of their strike despite utterances by Governor Dr Evans Kidero that he will not pay them.
On Wednesday, Dr Kidero had said he will defy a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta for doctors to be paid for the 100 days strike they had downed tools.
However on Sunday, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Nairobi branch Secretary General Thuranira Kaugiria told Nairobi News that doctors have received their March salaries and the county was in the process of paying the arrears by next week.
Nairobi County Executive Health Dr Bernard Muia said that he is not involved in matters of salaries hence he cannot comment on the issue.
“I only do policies, matters of money especially for the workers are not in my docket. I cannot comment on such a delicate matter,”said Dr Muia.
Dr Thuranira said governors are using the doctors’ strike to gain mileage because it is a hot topic.
“These governors are looking for political mileage. Even the Council of Governor chairman Peter Munya has paid his doctors, we are not worried by these utterances,” said Dr Thuranira.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KPMDU) called off the strike on Tuesday 14th March 2017.
Dr Thuranira said the union is more concerened with the signing of the Collective Bargain Agreement and recognition agreement with only 30 days remaining to the deadline.