Doctors in Kilifi county have suspended the countywide strike that was scheduled to start on Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, the doctors, through the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists’ Union Coast region, signed a return-to-work agreement that is to be implemented in 60 days.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro witnessed the signing of the agreement.
Mung’aro said the agreement has been as a result of long discussions.
“I want to thank the doctors for their patience. This is a journey that started a year ago but as you all know we did not have a county public service board in place," he said.
"I tasked the board to work on the plight of the doctors immediately we had one. I want to report to you that we have addressed all the issues and now they will resume their work. ”
The governor said 101 doctors of different cadres have been promoted.
“We have promoted 101 doctors out of the 130 doctors. The remaining will be promoted during the next cycle. It is not good for a doctor to stagnate in one job group for over 10 years. This demoralises them in their work,” Mung'aro said, adding that doctors, like any other county staff, are entitled to a mortgage or car loan.
The KMPDU Coast region chairman Niko Gichana called on doctors in Kilifi to continue working after the agreement, noting that the remaining doctors will be promoted soon.
“The issue and timelines for the promotion of the remaining doctors is in the agreement which we have signed. The wellbeing of the doctors is directly related to their performance at work. We are also human beings and are also affected by the high cost of living,” he said.
Most of the doctors were moved from job group N to P, N to Q and R to S.
Two weeks ago, the doctors issued a strike notice.
During the briefing, KMPDU Coast region secretary Ghalib Salim said since the inception of devolution, there was only one promotion from job group M to N and N to P.
“This is something that we have been engaging the county for long. They have always been taking us in rounds. We have doctors who have been receiving the same salary since 2014. Taxes are being added almost every year,” he said.
