Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' Union secretary general Davji Atellah has accused counties of using healthcare workers to bargain with the government for resources they use for other purposes.
Speaking on Tuesday, Davji said delaying salaries for health workers is a deliberate move.
"The county governments are actually using healthcare workers as bargaining chips when they are discussing inefficiencies between them and the National Government because they know when there is a shutdown in healthcare, they can bargain more," he said at Spice FM.
He said health workers cannot be essential service providers when their needs are not looked at.
Davji said if counties prioritise healthcare workers, salary delays will not occur.
His sentiments come even as health workers in 12 counties are set to go on strike from Wednesday.
In a letter to the counties, the health workers said they will not be able to attend work as scheduled as of April 19, 2023, due to the non-payment of their previous month's salaries and statutory deductions.
The unions said the health workers are in a difficult financial situation and “as a result, they are unable to meet their daily needs, including transportation, food, and accommodation expenses”.
The health workers are drawn from Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyamira, Kisii, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, Bomet, Nyamira, Embu, Vihiga and Taita Taveta.
