The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has faulted Laikipia County government for failing to pay salaries to 34 doctors who were reinstated by the Public Service Commission (PSC) after the devolved unit fired them.
KMPDU South rift Secretary Devji Atellah accused the county government of failing to adhere to the ruling by PSC to reinstate the medics and pay them all their dues since July 2019.
“The 34 specialist doctors resumed work two weeks ago at their various work stations within Laikipia County as per the PSC directive dated August 12, 2020, however as a union we are surprised that they have not been reinstated on the payroll,” Atellah said when he spoke to journalists in Nanyuki town on Monday.
The KMPDU official added that the union was contemplating moving back to the Employment and Labour relations court to seek for directives on the matter.
The doctors were part of a team of 61 medics sacked by Laikipia County government in June 2019 for participating in a strike to demand for salary increase and promotions.
Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said then that the striking doctors most of whom are specialists in various fields, were served with their dismissal letters and ordered to vacate all health facilities in the county.
KMPDU later moved to court on behalf of the sacked medics and through an agreement adopted as an order of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri, the matter was referred to PSC for arbitration.
At some point during the hearing of the matter, the county government accused PSC of not according the parties a fair hearing and having a predetermined outcome of the dispute.
PSC Chairman in his directive on the matter delivered on August 12, 2020, set aside the decision by the Laikipia County government to dismiss the doctors and reinstated them back to work and further directed the devolved unit to continue paying them their dues dating back to July 2019.
By Martin Munyi
