On Tuesday, the management of a public hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, confirmed that it had laid off 100 doctors participating in a nationwide strike ongoing for nearly a month.
According to the Kenyatta University Referral Hospital, replacement doctors have been hired in response to the striking workforce.
The strike, initiated by doctors across Kenya in mid-March, calls for improved pay and working conditions.
President William Ruto addressed the strike on Sunday, citing financial constraints as the reason for the government’s inability to meet the doctors’ demands.
“We must be honest with ourselves and the truth is that we must live within our means, we can’t borrow money to pay salaries”, Ruto said.
Despite the president’s remarks, the doctors’ union remains steadfast. On Tuesday, hundreds of doctors staged protests and submitted a petition to parliament, urging lawmakers to intervene in their labor dispute.
This recent strike echoes past instances of Kenyan doctors protesting inadequate compensation and working conditions. In 2017, a 100-day strike resulted in casualties due to lack of medical care. The strike concluded with the signing of an agreement between the doctors’ union and the government to raise salaries.
However, doctors now assert that certain provisions of the 2017 agreement have not been fulfilled.
Melissa Enoch
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