Atwoli reveals the main reasons why he failed to resolve the doctors’ strike

dennis kibet

February 13, 2017 12:23 PM

Atwoli said that the infighting between Mailu and Muraguri affected the negotiations with the doctors' union.

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli said that the infighting between CS Mailu and PS Muraguri had affected the negotiations with the doctors' union.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has revealed that Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri were the main impediments to end the doctors’ strike.

He has now appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to separate the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary to have any hope of salvaging the health crisis facing the country that has entered its tenth week.

Labour Court Judge Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa had directed Atwoli to lead negotiations to bring an end to the industrial action.

However, Atwoli now admits he has failed to mediate and find a lasting solution to the stalemate between the doctors and the government.

KMPDU officials jailed

The Labour and Industrial Relations Court on Monday sentenced seven Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials doctors union to one month in jail after they failed to call off their strike.

Justice Wasilwa said the court cannot be intimidated adding the parties were unwilling to negotiate.

Atwoli blamed Dr Muraguri whom he said was working with a section of the union officials to frustrate talks towards ending the strike.

"Dr Muraguri is not committed to ending the strike but instead seems determined to use the strike to settle an apparent score with Dr Mailu," he said.

He advised doctors to separate the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from the return to work formula and end their hard line stance over the matter.

Atwoli said that talks to end the strike had also been hampered by senior doctors and those running private clinics whom he said were misguiding young striking doctors to make unrealistic demands.

At the same time, Mr Atwoli said that talks to end the strike had also been hampered by senior doctors and those running private clinics whom he said were misguiding young striking doctors to make unrealistic demands.

dennis kibet