Kisii: Doctors down tools over failure by county gov’t to implement CBA

Doctors in public hospitals across Kisii County on Tuesday kicked off their strike over failure by the county government to implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017.

This follows the expiry of a seven-day notice issued last week to Kisii Governor James Ongwae and copied to the Ministry of Labour.

Speaking to Citizen Digital in Kisii, Nyanza region Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Doctors Union (KMPDU) Chair Kevin Osuri said doctors of all cadres from consultants to interns have all downed their tools following the county government’s failure to act on their notice.

According to Dr. Osuri, the doctors will not report back to work until the county government honours the CBA agreement and doctors due for promotions are promoted accordingly.

He further blamed the Kisii County Governor for not taking issues concerning doctors seriously, adding that they work under “pathetic conditions” and are also understaffed.

“We issued a strike notice to the governor of Kisii County on May 14, he has failed to respond. Kisii County has failed to implement provisions of CBA, either in part or in totality,” said Dr. Osuri.

“We will only go back to duty with promotions backdated to when every member was due; we will only go back to duty with comprehensive NHIF (National Hospital Insurance Fund) coverage; we will only go back to duty once all doctors who are due for study leave are released.”