Doctors in Kenya have threatened to join a nurses' strike that has been ongoing for six weeks, citing an increased workload as they attempt to compensate for the industrial action. The doctors' union has given the government seven days to resolve the issues raised by the nurses, warning that they will issue a strike notice if a resolution is not reached.
Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, secretary-general of the doctors' union, stated on Tuesday that doctors are overburdened and cannot perform nursing duties. He emphasized that the healthcare system relies on teamwork and that the current situation is detrimental to patient care.
The nurses are seeking the implementation of a collective bargaining agreement signed in 2017, which remains unimplemented due to alleged budgetary constraints. Seth Panyako, head of the nursing union, criticized the government for not prioritizing healthcare in its budgeting, making the excuse of insufficient funds to implement the agreement unfair to healthcare workers.
On Tuesday, hundreds of nurses marched to the office of the Council of Governors, an organization representing Kenya's 47 county governments. The council, along with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, was scheduled to meet to discuss remuneration issues.
James Murimi, a nurse participating in the march, explained that the return-to-work agreement was intended to improve nurses' uniforms and service allowances, which have not been adjusted since 2017, resulting in nine years of accumulated arrears owed by the government.
Last week, Ahmed Abdullahi, chair of the Council of Governors, urged the nurses to end their strike and allow for negotiations, noting that a court had ruled the strike illegal. He indicated that county governments would take action against striking nurses.
The Senate also discussed the closure of hospital dispensaries in some counties, with Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei attributing a rise in deaths to the actions of the Council of Governors and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, calling it a "national crisis."