Governors fault government for signing CBA with doctors
Chairman of Council of Governor Peter Munya addresses the media in Nairobi on December 9, 2016. The governors faulted the national government for signing the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the doctors illegally. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The council of governor’s chairman Peter Munya accused the ministry of Health of surpassing its mandate to enter into an agreement with doctors.
- According to Mr Munya, when the ministry and doctors signed the agreement in 2013, the new constitution had been passed and the ministry was aware that health is a devolved function.
- Doctors downed their tools on Monday demanding implementation of a CBA signed between the medical practitioners and the Ministry of Health.
Governors have blamed the national government for the ongoing doctor’s strike accusing it of signing the disputed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) illegally.
Speaking on Friday evening in Nairobi the Council of Governor’s chairman Peter Munya accused the ministry of Health of surpassing its mandate to enter into an agreement with doctors.
“The CBA done by the Ministry of Health was done illegally as County Governments were already in place and negotiations should have happened with each County Government,” said Mr Munya.
According to Mr Munya, when the ministry and doctors signed the agreement in 2013, the new constitution had been passed and the ministry was aware that health is a devolved function.
“If there is any agreement that was to be made with doctors, it should have been negotiated by the 47 county governments,” said Mr Munya.
He said the CBA that doctors and nurses are referring to is still under legal negotiation because there is no CBA that is registered and implementable according to governors.
“The Recognition Agreement, between each County Government and the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) will be signed on Wednesday December 14,2016, we have equally agreed to finalize the CBA by March 31, next year.” he said.
The COG chair however, said they are yet to agree with doctors as the 300 percent pay rise they are demanding for, is unmanageable by counties.
Mr Munya said counties have ensured that health services in county hospitals has improved in the last three years and called on doctors to end their strike which has now entered the fifth day.
According to Mr Munya, County Governments have brought health services closer to the people and provided affordable medical care.
Mr Munya said no health worker has been mistreated nor victimized by county governments and urged them to return to work and end the suffering of Kenyans in public hospitals.
Doctors downed their tools on Monday demanding implementation of a CBA signed between the medical practitioners and the Ministry of Health.
They were also joined by nurses who are also demanding for a new CBA between them and county governments.
The strike has seen many patients suffering and several deaths have been reported country wide
