KMPDU Issues Strike Notice To 11 Counties Over Delayed Salaries: “We Have Been Patient"

• On Saturday, August 24, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a strike notice to 11 counties
• KMPDU secretary general Davji Attelah said the affected counties, which include Kakamega and Nakuru, have not paid the doctors' salaries for July and August
• The union also issued a 14-day strike notice for doctors working in Nandi and Mombasa counties for failing to pay March and April salaries

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

Nairobi - The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a 14-day strike notice to 11 counties.

Which counties are affected by KMPDU's strike notice

On Saturday, August 24, KMPDU issued the notice over a delay in salary payments by the affected counties.

KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said the affected counties have not explained why they have not processed the doctors' salaries.

The counties on notice include Lamu, Kakamega, Taita Taveta, Garissa, Meru, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kirinyaga, Samburu, Nakuru, and Mandera.

Atellah stated they were supposed to start receiving the basic salary arrears in July for seven years, but the national government has yet to take action.

“The money ought to have been paid in July and August, but nothing yet. The counties have written a letter that they are yet to receive money from national government. We have been patient but our patience must not be confused for comfort. We are going to sue the government for contempt and we are ready to go back and demand for these monies," Atellah said during a press briefing.

The doctors' union also issued a 14-day strike notice for doctors working in Nandi and Mombasa counties who failed to pay their March and April salaries.

According to KMPDU, despite a court order, Nandi and Mombasa withheld salaries for doctors who participated in the recent strike.

Govt to settle doctors' 5-year arrears

Meanwhile, after successful negotiations, the government promised to clear the arrears of doctors' salaries.

State House chief of staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said that both the national and devolved governments committed to clearing the arrears totalling KSh 3.5 billion over five years, starting July 1, 2024.

President William Ruto, considering the importance of medical personnel in upholding the nation's health system, directed the Treasury and Ministry of Health to settle the arrears within two years.

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