Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has issued a notice to occupy the main offices for the Ministry of Health on Monday.
In a notice on its X page, KMPDU cited broken promises given to them by Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha.
This is based on the Return To Work Policy dated May 8, 2024, which was triggered by a 56-day doctors' strike.
According to KMPDU, intern doctors were meant to receive their placement information by July 7, 2024.
This deadline was established in an agreement reached on May 8, and reaffirmed by CS Nakhumicha in a meeting at the State House with the president present.
"Based on the RTWF dated May 8, intern doctors were to collect their posting letters by July 7th, 2024. The same was promised to us by Nakhumicha in the presence of the president in the State House. We have therefore decided to occupy the MOH day and night starting on July 8," KMPDU said.
The union plan to "camp at Afya House until all medical interns are posted and paid as per CBA 2017 terms".
On May 17, Nakhumicha held a meeting with KMPDU where they discussed the pending issue of medical interns posting and agreed to explore a mutually agreeable solution that would see the interns posted as soon as possible.
"The government is expediting the full and speedy implementation of the return to work formula even as we continue to address other issues to ensure smooth delivery of health services," Nakhumicha said in a statement on X.
On May 8, doctors called off the nationwide strike after signing a return-to-work formula agreement.
The Union and the government both signed the agreement ending the 56-day medics nationwide strike.
Atellah said they wanted the intern doctors posted immediately per the CBA, yet the government wanted them to wait for the court litigation before the agreement.
The doctor interns were directed to wait for at least 50 days for posting.
Based on the RTWF dated May 8th, intern doctors were to collect their posting letters by July 7th, 2024.The same was promised to us by @Nakhumicha_S in the presence of the president in State House. We have therefore decided to occupy the MOH day and night starting on July 8th. pic.twitter.com/W7AACSiN10
— KMPDU (@kmpdu) July 4, 2024