All arms of government looking for way to end doctors' strike
Joyce Laboso, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, with other leaders at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on January 14, 2013. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The National Assembly was on Tuesday prompted to joining the Executive and the Judiciary in seeking an end to the 59-day strike after the doctors’ union submitted its petition to the House.
Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso directed the Health and the Labour and Social Welfare committees to handle the petition and report back to the House expeditiously.
All three arms of government are looking for a way to end the strike by doctors.
The National Assembly was on Tuesday prompted to join the Executive and the Judiciary in seeking an end to the 59-day strike after the doctors’ union submitted its petition to the House.
Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso directed the Health and the Labour and Social Welfare committees to handle the petition and report back to the House expeditiously.
The petition asks Parliament to add its voice to calls for the government to negotiate with the doctors in good faith so as to end the stalemate. It, however, elicited mixed reactions when some Jubilee members of Parliament were angered by a Cord colleague’s suggestion that President Uhuru Kenyatta lead the talks.
Cord Members of Parliament (MPs) were also unhappy at an attempt by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa to have the petition rejected because the matter was in court. But Dr Laboso said the matter in court was about contempt of court regarding an order that the doctors’ union should end the strike.
Ugenya MP David Ochieng said the Budget, which the House will be passing soon, was a good opportunity for them to find a solution to the problem.
