MOMBASA, Kenya, Dec 9 – Medics in Mombasa County have threatened to go on strike starting Monday to protest failure by the county government to pay their salaries for the last two months.
Various medical unions including the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya National union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya Health professional Society (KHPS), Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) and the Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT) gave the ultimatum on Friday saying their seven-day strike notice that is to lapse on Sunday midnight has not yielded fruits as their demands remain unfulfilled by the County government.
Secretary KMPDU Dr. Ghalib Said noted that since the previous administration the issue of delayed salary payment for the health workers has been rampant.
Said vowed that if their two months’ salaries and five months’ remittances are not paid by Sunday, they will officially down their tools.
“We have consulted with other doctors in neighboring counties and they have been paid their salaries on time. Now this issue of delayed disbursements, why is it affecting only Mombasa county health workers?” he posed.
He blamed the governor for authoritatively deciding that he will only pay the October salary ignoring the November one and the five months pending arrears to be remitted to the banks.
“The governor wants us to give him 100 days to tackle our demands, but does he have a plan on how we and our families will survive without pay?” they queried.
According to the Secretary Kenya National Pharmaceutical Technologists Union Chero Ali, no prescriptions will be issued in all the government hospitals next week until their demands are met.
“We are not fighting our employer when we decide to strike, but we will be demanding for our rights. Humanity aside, medical practitioners also have needs,” said Ali.
On the other hand, Branch Secretary of Kenya National Union of Nurses Emily Musoi expressed concerns on why human rights organizations and politicians are keeping quiet from this issue that has caused them emotional stress.
Musoi said it has become normal for the county to delay their salaries claiming that they have not yet received an allocation from the National Treasury yet their counterparts in neighboring counties are paid on time.
She asked for interventions from the civil organizations saying both the health workers and members of the public suffer during such strikes.
KNUMLO secretary Moses Maingi said that they have exhausted all the options to ensure they are paid on time, thus the need to go on strike.
Maingi said their actions are due to failure to come to an understanding with the governor when they had a meeting with him on Thursday.
“We are feeling sorry for the innocent patients, but there is no way we can serve them when we are hungry. We want them to feel our grief,” he said.
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir on Monday while addressing KEPSHA conference promised to be paying county workers’ salaries by every 26 to 27 of each month in order to boost service delivery in the county.
The governor insisted that his administration will focus on good governance, which he noted is possible only if the employees are motivated.
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