Governors rule out more talks with striking doctors

Chairman of Council of Governors Peter Munya addressing journalists in Naivasha on March 9, 2017. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Doctors said they are willing to continue with the talks to end the strike in “good faith and good will.”
  • The association said the remaining issue is the return-to–work agreement.

Council of Governors (CoG) has ruled out any further negotiations with the striking doctors.

CoG Chairman Peter Munya termed a plea by the doctors for another chance for negotiations as "dishonest and ill-intentioned."

'HIDDEN CARDS'

Speaking in Naivasha on Thursday, Mr Munya claimed doctors are negotiating “with cards under the table.”

Munya said the doctors squandered all the opportunities for negotiations in the three months they have been on strike and there would be no further talks.

"Their call is ill intentioned and in bad faith and is bound to fail. We are not taking them seriously. They have been approaching it (talks) with cards under the table," the Meru governor said.

DEADLINE

He said as far as county governments are concerned, the deadline for doctors to report to work elapsed Wednesday.

Counties, he said, would carry out a headcount to establish how many doctors have resumed work before they start hiring new ones.

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, who is the council's health committee chairman accused the doctors of shifting goal posts.

"It seems there are unseen forces behind the doctors’ strike because any time we appear to be making headway, the doctors introduced new demands," he said during a panel discussion on status of health in counties.

GOOD FAITH

The governors have indicated they would employ doctors from the region and abroad.

His remarks come a day after doctors pleaded with the government for one last chance to conclude negotiations.

The doctors said they were willing to continue with the talks to end the strike in “good faith and good will” so as to protect the life and health of Kenyans by restoring normalcy in the health sector.

Further, they said they had accepted what the government has offered them, the 40 per cent deal, which is far from their long-held demands in the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

2013 CBA

“The process of negotiations has proceeded relatively well and has arrived at a critical moment. The CBA has already been fully agreed on by the two parties and is ready to be signed by all concerned parties," said Jacqueline Kitulu, the chair of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA).

“The mutual recognition agreement between the union and the employers is also awaiting signing.”

KMA officials made the remarks as leaders of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentist Union looked on silently.

REFINED

The association said the remaining issue was the return-to–work formula.

They said a number of clauses needed to be refined for them to call off the strike that has paralysed the public health sector in the country.

But despite prodding from journalists, the doctors would not divulge what the issues were and instead said they would rather have them ironed out in the negotiating table under the guidance of the Inter-Religious leaders as their mediators.

NURSES

The governors on Thursday however said they will only negotiate with nurses.

"The council remains committed to ensuring finalisation of this process and eventual registration of the negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement," said Mr Munya.

Mr Munya announced that a meeting would be held next week to discuss a counter offer made to the union by the two levels of government.

Governors were waiting for several documents to be availed by Kenya National Union of Nurses to finalise the CBA.

"We signed recognition agreements in good faith and we have asked the union for an extension of two weeks to facilitate finalisation of the CBA," he said.