Moses Kuria Hints At Plan To Reduce Number Of Medical Students: " People Are Doing Medicine With C+"

• Public Service CS Moses Kuria claimed that there high number of unqualified students pursuing medicine in tertiary institutions
• He added that he would have discussions with Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to have a limited number of students doing medical courses
• Kuria also asserted that the government would not pay intern doctors KSh 206,000 as proposed by the KMPDU

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has claimed he is planning to have a discussion with Education counterpart Ezekiel Machogu with a view to limiting the number of medical students.

Speaking to KTN on Wednesday, April 24, Kuria claimed there were high number of "unqualified" students undertaking medicine across the country.

" Right now, people are going to all sorts of universities doing this medicine. I am sure some people are going with even a C+ to do medicine, and I, the unfortunate guy irrespective of where they want, have to be the one to give them an internship," Kuria lamented.

The CS further alleged that the high number of doctors with low qualifications was making budgeting of civil servants' salaries problematic.

"Among the people with fake degrees some of them are doctors. I wanted to publish all the 2100 civil servants with fake degrees but I was told there can be a legal issue," he said.

Kuria responds to medical intern payments

During the same interview, the former lawmaker ruled out medical interns earning a higher salary.

Kuria termed the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union's (KMPDU) demand as unrealistic and impractical.

He insisted that he would not authorise medical interns to be paid KSh 206,000.

The CS said he could not support the high pay for interns, claiming doctors pay more attention to private clinics.

Davji Atellah bashes Moses Kuria

KMPDU secretary-general Davji Atellah castigated Public Service Cabinet secretary for insisting the government will not pay medical interns KSh 206,000.

Kuria argued that paying medical interns the aforementioned amount is unattainable and unrealistic.

Atellah was pissed off by the CS's remarks and called him out via his X account, terming his sentiments unacceptable.

What else you need to know about doctors' strike

• Moses Kuria on April 25 asserted that the government is not going to pay medical interns KSh 206,000
• President William Ruto's Cabinet on April 24 agreed that the Kenya Kwanza government could not sustain paying intern doctors a KSh 206,000 monthly salary.
• The posting of interns laid the ground for the doctors' strike in late February 2024, for which the KMPDU blamed the national government for delays.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.