Kenyan government reaches deal with doctors

After almost two months of disruptions that have left thousands of patients struggling to access medical care, the government of Kenya announced that it had signed an agreement with  striking doctors on Wednesday.

"After 56 days, KMPDU signs agreement, ending nationwide doctors' strike," the health ministry said on X, formerly Twitter, using the abbreviation for the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, which launched the action in mid-March to protest wages for its 7,000 members.

"After long and painstaking negotiations that ran into the wee hours of the night for many days ... we have signed a return to work formula and the union has called off the strike," Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha told reporters.

The strike, which was also joined by the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), effectively paralyzed 57 public hospitals in the East African country.

Interns at center of dispute

The full details of the deal were not immediately made public. Davji Atellah, the union secretary general, said the doctors agreed to trust the government to implement an agreement to ensure the labor issues that caused the strike, including poor remuneration and working conditions, are resolved.

Doctors had previously clashed with the authorities over a government decision to cut salaries for medical interns and push back the retirement age. Several rounds of talks have collapsed over the compensation for interns, who make up about 30% of Kenyan doctors.

KMPDU chief Davji Atellah confirmed that the issue of interns' salaries was still "pending," but also said the strike was over.

"Despite having said and stated that we would not go home with promissory notes, we have decided to take the promise for the last time," he said.

Doctors to return to work within 24 hours

KMPDU has also reinforced its demands for a monthly salary of 206,000 Kenyan shillings (€1,450, $1,558) which had been agreed after a previous strike in 2017 which had lasted 100 days.

President William Ruto, however, considered that to be unfeasible. He proposal of a salary of 71,000 shillings (about a third of what was requested) but this was in turn rejected by the KMPDU.

"We cannot continue to spend money we don't have," he declared in early April. "I say to our medical friends that we appreciate the service they perform for our nation but that we have to live according to our means."

The doctors are set to return to work within 24 hours of signing the deal. 

The deal also states that doctors would receive salary arrears amounting to 3.5 billion shillings (about $26 million) over the next five years to make up for unpaid wage hikes stipulated by the 2017 agreement.

Many Kenyan doctors complain about low salaries and poor working conditions which fueled an exodus to other African countries and hospitals outside the continent.

Kenya is still reeling from the flooding that has affected over 235,000 people since the rainy season started in mid-March.

mf/dj (AFP, Reuters)