Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has issued a stern ultimatum to doctors affiliated with Nairobi County, urging them to end their participation in the ongoing nationwide strike by medical practitioners and resume their duties immediately.
In a press briefing held on Wednesday evening, Governor Sakaja emphasized the urgency of the situation, giving Nairobi doctors a 12-hour deadline to return to work. He expressed his adamant stance against allowing patients’ lives to remain at risk due to issues that, in his view, could be addressed gradually.
Governor Sakaja clarified that the grievances regarding the national government’s failure to assign medical interns and the non-compliance with doctors’ 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) are not directly within the county’s jurisdiction. Therefore, he urged Nairobi County-employed doctors to prioritize patient care and resume their duties promptly.
He urged the Nairobi branch of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to seek alternative ways to express solidarity with the national branch’s concerns without compromising patient care in Nairobi.
Governor Sakaja warned that doctors who fail to report to work by Thursday morning would be considered as unwilling to continue their employment with Nairobi County. He emphasized his administration’s commitment to filling these positions as mandated by the constitution.
While acknowledging the doctors’ right to voice their grievances, Governor Sakaja underscored that striking over issues with a different employer isn’t justified when it endangers the healthcare of Nairobi’s residents.
Despite efforts by the KMPDU and the government to resolve the impasse through two previous meetings, no satisfactory outcome has been reached. Both parties are scheduled to reconvene at the negotiation table on Thursday for another meeting facilitated by the Head of Public Service and mandated by the courts.
