Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has directed medical interns to start their duties at assigned health centers as efforts continue to settle a disagreement over their monthly salaries.
Nakhumicha explained that the Ministry of Health’s budget of sh. 3.7 billion for the 2024/25 fiscal year is insufficient to cover the required sh. 4.8 billion needed for all 3,760 interns.
She presented three options being discussed with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU): posting all interns at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) proposed rate of sh. 70,000 per month, allocating funds to post at least 552 interns at the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rate of sh. 206,400 monthly, or awaiting a court ruling on the SRC’s proposal, expected on September 26, 2024.
Despite ongoing negotiations, Nakhumicha urged interns to begin their placements as previously instructed, recognizing the delay and advising patience while the issue is resolved.
Responding to the #OccupyMOH protests, where interns demonstrated at the Ministry of Health headquarters demanding her resignation, Nakhumicha criticized efforts to discredit the ministry.
She affirmed that discussions with union leaders and interns have been transparent, dismissing accusations of inefficiency.
Nakhumicha assured the public that ongoing talks will result in a solution that benefits all parties involved.
This development follows months of disagreements between the ministry and health stakeholders over the implementation of the 2017 CBA, which led to a 56-day strike by health workers in March.
The strike concluded with a Return-to-work agreement signed on May 8, 2024, outlining steps to address nationwide health workers’ pay issues through a dedicated task force.
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