Striking doctors in Machakos county will not be paid unless they agree to go back to work. Governor Wavinya Ndeti has said.
Ndeti said the courts declared the strike illegal and there was no way the government was going to pay the medics who went against the law.
Speaking on Tuesday during the second day of her development tour of Mwala subcounty, Ndeti said her government has met all the demands of the striking doctors except one on the increase of salaries, which she said was not tenable under the present conditions.
Ndeti who spoke exclusively in the local dialect said it was not currently possible to increase the salaries of doctors when workers in other departments had not received an increment.
Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi said that 422 healthcare workers in the county had been promoted since Governor Ndeti assumed office and as such, it would be unfair for the county government to continue promoting only a section of workers.
The deputy governor said the shareable revenue from the national government to counties was inadequate to cater for salary increments and called on Members of Parliament to push for an increase beyond the current Sh380 billion.
Chief Officer Medical
Services Justus Kasiva said nurses and clinical officers had gone back to work
but the doctors were still adamant.
He said they had not paid striking doctors this
month and would not pay them if they continued striking.
During her development tour, Ndeti commissioned the new Kyamutwii dispensary in Mwala/Makutano Ward and opened X-ray and Ultrasound rooms at Mwala Level 4 hospital.
The hospital was recently equipped by the county government.
Residents were upbeat at the new development as the facility will save them the trouble of travelling to Machakos town for x-ray and ultrasound services.
The governor also launched a county spatial planning programme of all major towns at Kabaa market in a move that will secure the properties of residents in the towns as their plots will be issued with title deeds.
