The government has called on all eligible medical student interns to collect their posting letters from the Ministry of Health’s offices starting Thursday, April 4, 2024, as part of efforts to address the ongoing industrial action by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
This move comes amid ongoing court-sanctioned mediation and a “Whole-of-the-Nation Approach Committee” tasked with resolving the long-standing issues affecting the country’s healthcare system.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024, Felix Koskei, the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service, outlined the progress made thus far in addressing the concerns raised by the KMPDU.
According to Koskei, the Whole-of-the-Nation Approach Committee has identified and prioritized 19 issues raised in the notice of industrial action, allocating responsibilities to the national and county governments, as well as areas of concurrent mandate.
For its part, the national government has facilitated the payment of basic salary arrears accrued from the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), secured a budget of Ksh. 2.4 billion to facilitate the immediate deployment of the 2023/24 cohort of medical student interns, and provided grants and scholarships for eligible postgraduate medical officers.
“As part of its mandate, the Whole of the Nation Approach Committee has isolated the nineteen issues raised in the Notice of Industrial Action and thereafter classified and prioritized each issue, further assigning responsibility to each tier of Government,” Koskei stated in the press release.
Koskei also urged the leadership of the KMPDU to comply with its obligations under the court’s orders by immediately suspending the ongoing industrial action, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fostering constructive dialogue and addressing concerns to ensure the well-being of all Kenyans.
The press release comes as the Employment and Labour Relations Court in ELRC Petition Number E032 of 2024 has sanctioned mediation between the KMPDU, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and other parties involved in the dispute. The court-sanctioned Conciliation Committee continues to mediate on issues related to the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding on minimum safety services to be provided by union members during a protected industrial action.
