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With the nationwide strike by doctors now entering the third week, the medics appear unmoved, maintaining their demands must be met first.

In Nakuru, doctors and medical graduates yesterday held peaceful protests as they marched from the county’s main health facility, Level Five Hospital.

Led by their respective union officials, the medical officers held a procession to the County Assembly of Nakuru before heading to the county headquarters.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General for the South Rift Region Dr Stephen Omondi said the strike is still on.

“We began our strike after giving a seven days notice. It is now the 13th day of the strike and nothing has been forthcoming,” said Omondi.

At the county headquarters, the doctors submitted a list of their demands which he said were a replica of what had been submitted to the national government.

“Some of the issues can be resolved in a day if the government wants to. They are issues that had been agreed on seven years ago and what is remaining is implementation,” he said.

He took a swipe at Health CS Nakhumicha Wafula saying that she was not addressing the matter objectively.

According to him, every effort by the CS on the matter has been worsening an already bad situation.
“Unfortunately we have a CS who is handling this matter politically. Health is a very critical department and we don’t expect Nakhumicha to talk the way she does,” he said.

The unionist noted that they had submitted a list of 19 issues to be addressed but had five major concerns, which they wanted, addressed urgently. “We want immediate posting of medical interns as per the CBA of 2017-2021. We also want the implementation of the same CBA on the issue of the basic salary.”

He explained that the CBA was negotiated under the set guidelines and registered in court but has never been honoured.