Silverio Omari
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has instructed medical interns to report to designated health centers amidst efforts to resolve the ongoing pay dispute. According to a statement, the Ministry of Health’s budget allocation of Ksh. 3.7 billion for 2024/25 falls short of the Ksh. 4.8 billion required to post 3,760 interns.
Three options are under discussion with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU): posting all interns at the SRC-proposed rate of Ksh. 70,000 per month, using allocated funds to post at least 552 interns at Ksh. 206,400 per month as per the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or awaiting a court ruling on the SRC’s stipend proposal, expected on September 26, 2024.
Despite ongoing protests, CS Nakhumicha condemned efforts to portray the Ministry’s response as inadequate, emphasizing ongoing dialogue with stakeholders to reach a resolution. The statement follows a 56-day strike by health workers in March, resolved through a Return-to-work formula aimed at addressing grievances and forming a taskforce to standardize health worker remuneration nationwide.
Dj Vnyash
