President William Ruto has hit out at leaders sympathising with doctors during the ongoing strike, saying they should go ahead and pay them.
He said the government cannot afford to give in to the doctors' demands at the moment, as there are "real issues we want to deal with".
"We have a doctors' challenge. We have leaders including governors saying 'We support the doctors' strike'. Really?"
"If you support their strike then pay the money they are asking for."
He spoke on Wednesday during the Third National Wage Bill Conference 2024, Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.
Doctors are demanding the posting of interns; payment of fees for doctors on postgraduate training; extension of contracts for UHC staff; payment of arrears of basic salaries as per the 2017 CBA and provision of comprehensive medical insurance.
They are in the fifth week of the strike.
On Tuesday, governors objected to the format of talks to resolve the strike by doctors.
During an extraordinary council meeting on the ongoing labour unrest in the health sector, they also refused to pay doctors more saying they are already the best-paid professionals in the counties.
The governors said the “Whole of Nation approach Committee” constituted by the Labour Court to resolve doctors' grievances cannot make decisions for the 47 counties.
Council of Governors chair Anne Waiguru said they might not participate in the talks under such a format.
"The Council of Governors appreciates the Whole of Nation approach directive by the court whose aim is to have a long-lasting solution to the perennial industrial unrest in the health sector. However, this is not tenable as both the national and county governments are independent and distinct employers," she said.
On Monday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights called on the government to stop threatening and intimidating striking doctors.
The commission instead called for the provision of adequate security to the protesters and non-protesters during the demonstrations.
Chairperson Roseline Odede said it's about time all parties sat down for negotiations to agree on a return-to-work formula.
"The KNCHR calls for genuine consultations between the government and the doctors to urgently resolve the outstanding issues and agree on a return to work formula," Odede said.
She raised concern that the ongoing doctors’ strike has had and will continue to have a direct impact on the provision of healthcare in Kenya.
Odede said the strike has led to disruption of the provision of healthcare services across all the public facilities in the country.
She said the state has the primary responsibility of ensuring Kenyans enjoy their right to healthcare as provided for under the Constitution and international human rights instruments that Kenya has ratified.
"The KNCHR further notes that the strike has been on-going for a while and both parties need to have genuine discussions on a return-to-work formula for ordinary provision of healthcare services to resume," Odede said.