‘My enemies are sponsoring doctors’ strikes to ruin my reputation’ – CS Nakhumicha
By Mary Ouko, March 23, 2024
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha now claims that the recent doctors’ strikes witnessed in the country are part of a plan to sabotage her efforts to develop the health sector.
Nakhumicha who was addressing a crowd on Saturday, March 23, 2024, blamed those found guilty of corruption at KEMSA and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for the woes in her ministry.
Without mentioning names, Nakhumicha claimed that the aforementioned individuals were acting out of envy because she has made strides in the medical sector.
The CS also said that the aforementioned individuals were sponsoring the doctors’ strike to intentionally sabotage her plans and ruin her reputation.
She went on to claim that the said individuals had initially criticized her for lowering the cost of NHIF for unemployed citizens from Ksh500 to Ksh300.
“Nimefanya kazi ya afya mpaka kuna watu wameanza kunionea wivu wanaanza kuleta nye nye nye, lakini nataka kuwahakikishia ya kwamba mimi sai watu wameona vile napanga kazi yangu. Wale wezi walikua Kemsa nimejua ndio wanasponsor hio mambo ingine. Wale watu walikua wanaiba NHIF ndio wanasponsor mambo ingine. Sasa sai mtu anasema ati ju nlisema tupunguze NHIF kutoka mia tano hadi mia tatu ati nlifanya makosa, ati vile nlisema wale ambao hawana pesa na kazi walipiwe na serikali ati mimi nlifanya makosa,” the CS said.
Nakhumicha’s remarks come amid the intensified doctors’ strike that has been witnessed during the week.
Doctor’s strike
On Friday, doctors held banners and whistles as they protested at Afya House demanding that interns should be posted.
The agitated doctors also demanded the government to clear the basic salary arrears for doctors as per the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.
They chanted “Nakhumicha must go!” as they accused the CS’s ministry of working in cahoots with the county government to deny them their rights.
The protesting doctors also chanted that they would only cooperate if the government addressed their concerns.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Secretary General Davji Atellah recently announced that the strike will be progressing as earlier announced because they had failed to reach an agreement.
Atellah also pointed out that the issues including the posting of interns have been addressed for a while but no action has been taken.
“We just want to affirm that our strike is on. We had a meeting with the ministry led by the CS. I must appreciate that there is understanding that the issues that we are advocating for are pending,” Atellah stated.