Ruto to striking doctors: Go back to work, we will sort things out

President William Ruto on Wednesday urged doctors to end their strike as the government works towards meeting all their demands in an unspecified time in the future.

In his Labour Day address at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Ruto told medics that the government is unable to meet all their demands wholly due to financial constraints.

“We have tabled what the government is ready to do; 17 out of the 19 demands, the rest is not possible because of financial constraints,” he said.

“I beseech doctors to go back to work, we will sort things out, fix the economy and everyone will get their due in the future. We must be brutally honest with one another, there is no need to lie.”

Since March 14, the doctors have abandoned their duty stations and have been protesting the government’s failure to post medical interns and obey a 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on doctors’ labour terms.

The government has presented a Ksh.70,000 offer for the medical interns in place of the Ksh.206,000 set in the CBA, which the doctors have turned down.

As the strike entered its 49th day on Wednesday, President Ruto, urged doctors to consider their strike's effect on the country’s healthcare and resume their duties for what he described as the public's well-being.

“While the right to undertake industrial action is enshrined in our constitution and labour laws, it must be exercised responsibly, and with due regard for the well-being of the public. I urge all parties involved to act in good faith and prioritize the interests of our citizens,” he said.

“Respect for court orders is paramount, and adherence to legal processes is essential in resolving disputes effectively,” the president added in a reference to the Employment and Labour Relations Court’s suspension of the protracted strike to pave the way for further negotiations.

Ruto reiterated his call for the need for Kenya to live within its means to make more resources available to manage the country’s economic challenges and “for investment in goods and services that benefit all, not just some citizens.”

“It is neither just, proper, nor reasonable for any group to make demands that run counter to this imperative, elevate their claims above legitimate benchmarks, or exceed our economic capacity,” he added.