Governor Ruto angers union after he convinces county health workers not to go on strike

Dennis Tarus

December 6, 2016 2:15 PM

As the rest of the country’s health workers kicked off their strike on Monday, it was work as usual for doctors and nurses in Bomet County.

This was after Governor Isaac Ruto struck a deal with the county’s health workers not to go on strike like the rest of their colleagues.

Ruto struck a deal with the health workers in his county to hold talks on a collective bargaining agreement that will be ratified in January and implemented with immediate effect.

The decision was arrived at after a successful consultative meeting with the administration of the Bomet County government, led by Ruto and the county’s medical practitioners.

The talks centred on the health workers' salary demand proposals.

Country's health crisis

On Monday, normal operations continued as normal without a hitch as the rest of the country was plunged into a crisis with several fatalities reported as a result of the health workers downing their tools.

At least eight patients died across the country as the strike by Kenya’s health workers began on Monday.

However, Ruto’s deal did not go down well with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU).

KMPDU South Rift Secretary Davji Atellah warned Governor Ruto against forcing the public health workers from working at a time when their union has called for a strike.

"We will not tolerate a situation where our workers are intimidated not to down tools for selfish interest and once we start the strike we will be monitoring closely the county to ensure that everyone is out of work," said the KMPDU official

Dennis Tarus