Mombasa county government has sacked dozens of doctors, including KMPDU boss Chibanzi Mwachonda and senior specialists for refusing to return to work.
In a letter signed by county secretary Jeizan Faruk, Governor Hassan Joho’s administration dismissed 86 striking workers for boycotting duty. Following the correspondence shared between the Department of Health and the County Public Service Board on the doctors strike, the Board, pursuant to Section 59 (1) (c) of the County Governments Act number 17 of 2012, hereby conveys its decision via Special Board meeting held on January 5, 2021 that all the doctors who have failed, refused and/or neglected to return to work be dismissed from county services as provided for under Section 44 (4) (a), (c) and (e) of the Employment Act 2007 which constitute justifiable or lawful grounds for the dismissal as highlighted in the Act, the devolved unit said.
Joho fires 86 doctors, including KMPDU boss Mwachonda
Wednesday January 06 2021
By WINNIE ATIENO
Summary
In a letter signed by county secretary Jeizan Faruk, Governor Hassan Joho’s administration dismissed the 86 striking workers for boycotting duty.
The Joho administration further instructed the doctors to immediately hand over all properties belonging to the county government to their supervisors.
Wards in major hospitals are empty with services such as surgery, maternity, in-patient, and out-patient suspended as doctors, nurses, laboratory technologists, clinical officers, and radiographers boycott duties.
Mombasa county government has sacked 86 doctors, including KMPDU boss Chibanzi Mwachonda and senior specialists for refusing to return to work.
Coronavirus: Kenyan doctors return to work after four-day strike
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A Kenyan dentist succumbed to the coronavirus disease on Friday, a day after a union of doctors in Kenya signed an agreement with the government to end a strike launched on 21 December to demand better protection of frontline medical personnel.
The dentist, Andrew Njuguna, a member of the Kenya Dental Association, died of the complications caused by the virus on Friday.
The Kenyan Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPPDU) issued a strike notice on 16 November which it suspended for a few weeks before reinstating it on 21 December.
CS Kagwe described the agreement as a win-win.
“We are looking at matters not just on the table but generally on how health can be improved,” said Kagwe.
KMPDU Acting Secretary-General Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda assured doctors that there will be no victimisation after the agreement and for counties like Mombasa, Nyamira and Migori with unique labour disputes, there will be efforts to mediate.
Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda and Health CS Mutahi Kagwe [Wiberforce Okwiri, Standard]
“I would like to declare that the strike has been called off,” said KMPDU Acting Secretary General Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda adding that the union will continue with further engagement to iron out all issues. While majority of the grievances cut across all cadres, no official from the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers or Kenya National Union of Nurses was present.