JOURNEY TO JAIL: How CBA7 landed behind bars

December 2: Labour Court issues order stopping impending doctors’ strike following Council of Governors application

December 5: Doctors’ union officials call nationwide medics strike over 2013 CBA

December 11: Council of Governors orders doctors to resume work or face the sack.

December 13: Labour Court declares doctors’ strike illegal

December 20: Labour Court finds KMPDU officials guilty of contempt of court for ignoring order to end illegal strike.

January 9: Council of Governors threatens to sack all doctors if they don’t return to work following their threat to withhold doctors’ salaries for December last year

January 10: Labour Court orders arrest of doctors’ union officials for sentencing after having been found guilty of contempt, based on an application from the Council of Governors after they failed to appear in court January 10.

January 12: Labour Court issues judgment against the KMPDU officialss for a one-month jail term but suspended for two weeks to give them a ‘last chance’ to negotiate a strike settlement.

January 15: Two Opposition Senators Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and Hassan Omar blame both national govt and COG for the strike after meeting doctors’ leaders.

January 24: Talks between the KMPDU leaders and Health CS Mailu fail again.

January 26: Labour Court grants a 5-day extension of its contempt jail-order against KMPDU leaders tor “to give them a last chance to end the strike”.

February 3:  Labour Court orders COTU’s Francis Atwoli to lead inter-agency negotiations, asks doctors to call off strike within seven days.

February 7: KMPDU leaders appear before Senate Health Committee on terms for ending the strike

February 13: Labour Court sends seven KMPDU officials to jail for 30 days for contempt of court after failing to call off strike. Justice Hellen Wasilwa says there is no sufficient justification to review its order.

Words: Joel Muinde

Design: Julius Osanjo