George Natembeya Threatens To Hire Ugandan Doctors If Strike Continues: "Ni Kusema Tu Nina Vacancy"

• Governor George Natembeya announced at a staff meeting that the county government would withhold the salaries of striking doctors
• He warned that if the doctors continued their strike, he would seek alternative medical staff, potentially from neighbouring countries like Uganda
• Natembeya stated his intention to advertise doctor positions in Uganda, leveraging the East Africa Community protocols on the free movement of labour

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Trans Nzoia - Governor George Natembeya has opened up about his next action if the ongoing strike by doctors persists.

KMPDU refuses to call off strike

The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) has stated that its members won't resume work despite the government's commitment to honour 18 out of the 19 grievances that informed their strike over a month ago.

KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said his side was not convinced as the single unmet demand was the most crucial.

The county and national governments maintained their stances on the intern doctors' pay, with the KMPDU declaring this as the deal breaker.

How will Natembeya punish striking doctors

During a meeting with all county staff, Natembeya revealed the county government would withhold striking doctors's salaries.

The county boss said if the medics persist with their industrial action, then he would have to seek alternatives, including from neighbouring countries.

Natembeya said he would easily find doctors in Uganda, adding that he would only need to advertise the openings and let them apply.

"We're going to start by stopping their salaries at the end of this month, and then from next month, I will go to Uganda to advertise for doctors. Because the East Africa Community protocols state that there is free movement of labour, goods, and services. This means that if I have vacancies, they'll apply; they'll come here even if they don't require certification. They'll just come," he said

Doctors strike called by KMPDU

• Laying the ground for the doctors' strike in late February 2024 was the posting of interns, for which the KMPDU blamed the national government over delays.
• The union later made good its strike threat with a solid 19-point grievance list, which they demanded the Ministry of Health to meet.
• Over thirty days later, the national government, through a Whole Nation Approach involving key players, is yet to strike a deal with the striking doctors.
• The bone of the contention happened to be the remuneration of the intern doctors, with the state arguing that it did not have the money to meet that particular demand.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke