Governors insist they are not to blame over jailing of doctors

Chairman Peter Munya said the council was forced to seek legal redress after failing to reach an agreement with the medics.

“We are still ready for negations because patients are still suffering due to the ongoing strike. We should not blame anyone for the ruling because it is not going to affect the negations and the collective bargaining agreement,” said Mr Munya.

Last year the Council of Governors moved to court against the union arguing that the medical practitioners have proceeded to go on an unlawful and unprotected strike.

The Meru governor added there was still open to negotiations and asked doctors to re-consider their demands saying the government cannot afford to implement the 2013 CBA that sought to improve their salaries and working conditions in public hospitals.

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However doctors have said they have put on hold any further negotiations with the government until their union officials have been released.

The Immediate former council of governor’s chairman, Isaac Ruto however differs with Munya and instead backs the doctor’s strike adding governors themselves should also shoulder some responsibility for their naivety to continue allowing the national government to manage healthcare long after devolution

“You see the problem is that a lot of governors fell into the trap by the national government to allow the management of health care to continue to be centralized, health care was devolved by the constitution in 2010, so as soon as I took over myself I decided to take over the running and the administration of health care in Bomet, the rest of the counties continue to prevaricate, the national government which kept harassing them and telling them this was a national function”

The Bomet governor points out that from the beginning the national government was keen to frustrate devolution of health care by withholding vital documents like files of all those doctors and nurses

Mr Munya in governor’s defense asked the health workers to compare their salaries with those of others in third world countries rather than demand for what is paid in developed countries.

“Where will the country raise the money to pay doctors a 300 per cent pay raise in this overstretched economy?” wondered Governor Munya.

Chama cha Mashinani chairman, Isaac Rutto however again brushes off claims of doctor's pay rise being too high explaining that a reasonable offer for doctors is possible just like he did in his county.

“What we did in Bomet is that we took over the health care and we decided to get all the employees to our county government board and we discussed and negotiated with them on their terms of services. why should you hold a surgeon on group N for example, he has done quite a bit of learning and doctors do not get involved in other side businesses like they don't own matatus, so why don’t we compensate doctors reasonably within the budgetary arrangement that can be met by various counties?” Ruto posed in a TV interview over the weekend.