Details of President Kenyattas OFFER that the doctors REJECTED

Talks between the government and the representatives of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) failed to bear fruits even as the strike entered its 34^th day on Wednesday, January 4, 2017.

The meeting, convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Mombasa, was attended by heads of government ministries and agencies among them Cabinet Secretaries Henry Rotich (Treasury) and Dr Cleopa Mailu (Health), the Chairperson of the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC) Sarah Serem and the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Prof Margaret Kobia.

Doctors were represented by a seven-member delegation led by the KMPDU Chairman, Dr Samuel Oroko, and Secretary General, Ouma Oluga.

The meeting was aimed at ending the impasse that has seen doctors stay away from hospitals for over a month.

According to the government, the doctors rejected the offers tabled during the meeting, instead demanding for full implementation of the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that awarded them a 300% pay rise and offered to recruit more doctors to reduce the current doctor to patient ratio that stands at 1:16,000.

But what exactly did the doctors’ reject?

According to the government, it had offered to raise the entry level grade into the public service for doctors to Job Group “M” from Job Group “L”, a grade it terms as higher than the normal entry level for other public servants and recognises doctors’ professional training.

The government further says that it offered to raise the Enhanced Emergency Call allowance to Ksh 66,000 from the current Ksh 30,000 for Job Group L; Ksh 72,000 from Ksh 30,000 for Job Groups M-P; and Ksh 80,000 from Ksh 30,000 for Job Groups Q and above.

The government further says that it has also offered a new Doctors’ Risk allowance at a flat rate of Ksh 10,000 per month.

“The sum total of the government’s offer means that the minimum gross salary for doctors will increase to Ksh 196,989 from the current Ksh 140,244 at full implementation at the current entry Job Group L,” read the government’s statement in part .

“The total impact of the government offer on the exchequer will be an additional expenditure of Ksh 4 billion annually – shared among the nation’s 5,000 doctors.”

“The Government offer will bring the remuneration of doctors in line with the labour market,” further read the statement.

Sources privy to the meeting indicate that the doctors’ union, KMPDU, stood its ground saying that the strike can only be called off if the 2013 CBA is implemented in full.