Laikipia County Gov’t fires all 61 striking doctors

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has now announced that all the 61 doctors in the county who were on strike have since been relieved off their duties.

Governor Muriithi, addressing a press conference on Monday, said the county will soon announce vacancies of medical personnel.

“We will be going to the market later on to advertise for medical officers. In the mean time, all managers in the sector will be deployed to clinical services,” he said.

The doctors have been on strike for about 23 days pushing for the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA.)

They had earlier issued a 14-day strike notice after which they downed their tools saying the county government  failed to honour the CBA.

The county government instead went to court seeking an injunction to stop the go-slow, which they were granted.

However – upon returning to work – the doctors were reportedly issued with show cause letters; a move which irked them, forcing them to head back to the streets as they said it was not part of the return back-to-work arrangement.

The medical personnel reportedly wanted the implementation of the CBA, a good working environment, as well as county support during study leaves among others.

The doctors, through the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), however said they will go to court to oppose the sack.