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Former Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe yesterday asked the government to implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that it entered with the doctors.

Speaking for the first time on the issue, Kagwe said the agreement between the government and medics, which included among other issues, employment of intern doctors and payment of allowances, is binding and therefore, should be actualised in full.

He blamed the outbreak of the Covid-19 for the failure of the Jubilee administration to implement the deal saying that the CBA should not be treated casually like promises made by politicians during campaigns but are later forgotten when leaders assume office.

“In an election year, the aspirants ask people what they want, then we politicians make promises to the electorate, despite being fully aware that such promises cannot be fulfilled in totality. Even during the last elections, you saw how promises were being made yet they haven’t been delivered. It is not the same with the unionisable employees,” he said during an interview at Kameme FM’s breakfast show dubbed, Arahuka.

Doctors across the country downed tools three weeks ago pressing the government to address the significant grievances they have outlined.

On Sunday, President Ruto said that doctors need to understand that the country cannot afford to increase the salaries of its workers. He stressed that the country must manage its available resources instead of resorting to borrowing to pay wages.

However, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary general Davji Atellah said they will not go back to work until their demands are met.

Kagwe cautioned his successor Susan Nakhumicha against chest thumping saying it will not resolve the impasse adding that the Ministry must cede ground to allow dialogue with the health workers.

“When there is a nationwide issue that is prompting disagreements, for such an issue you cannot try to find solutions through chest-thumping. The work of the doctors is a calling. When such people complain about anything, one must know that there is a place where they have been inflicted pain,” Kagwe said.

Reasonable demand

Comparing the grandstanding between the doctors and government to the proverbial fight of the two bulls where only the grass suffers the most, he called on both parties to dialogue to end the agony of patients saying that the doctors’ strike was synonymous with his tenure but always called the union officials to dialogue.

“When I was serving in that docket, those issues (strike) existed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I called them and I told them how the situation was including how some workers were being subjected to pay cuts. I reminded them that they were trained so that they can be treating people, and pleaded with them not to let patients die,” he revealed.

The former CS, who disclosed that he moved away from the public limelight to take a rest, said that by being honest with the doctors, his then-ministry was able to mitigate the effects of the corona virus pandemic which killed thousands of patients in other countries.

In our first meetings after the outbreak of Covid-19, the doctors would raise the issues of PPE to protect themselves as they attend to patients. I found that demand reasonable. Their union officials’ would agree with my ministry on such issues and we would get doctors to return to work,” he said.

During the tell-it-all interview, Kagwe revealed how he endured sleepless nights as he worked to put the ravaging coronavirus pandemic under control.

“That was a very difficult season, we had sleepless nights because this was a matter that touched on the lives of all Kenyans. Nobody would be assured if they will be alive the following day or not.”

“When you wake up in the morning and see countries such as the United States, people are being buried with a bulldozer in trenches, you look at Ecuador, the country was overwhelmed of burying the dead.

In India, there was no wood to cremate the dead. When watching such occurrences, you cannot sleep peacefully because you are worried about what will happen when it is your country’s turn,” Kagwe said.