RAILA was right, RUTO doesn’t know what to do anymore as late-night talks between government and doctors collapse again – Look!

 

Sunday May 5, 2024 – President William Ruto doesn’t know what to do with the striking doctors anymore.

This is after his efforts to resolve the protracted doctors' strike hit another snag.

The late-night talks between government officials and the doctors’ union collapsed again, prolonging a healthcare crisis that has gripped the nation for over seven weeks now.

The negotiations, aimed at ending the strike, which entered its 53rd day on Saturday, faltered despite the emergence of a proposed return-to-work formula.

The breakdown threatens to extend the strike, potentially mirroring the severity of the 2017 healthcare standoff that endured for a daunting 100 days.

The proposed formula, which had seen significant progress with the resolution of 17 out of 19 contentious issues, faced a deadlock as both parties failed to find common ground on the remaining two points.

Led by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, the government delegation, comprising key officials including Cabinet Secretaries Susan Nakhumicha (Health), Florence Bore of Labour, Council of Governors Whip Stephen Sang (Nandi), and the Council's Health Committee Chairperson Muthomi Njuki, as well as Wailes Ahmed Abdullahi, convened with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) in a bid to clinch an agreement. However, efforts proved futile as the doctors' union remained unyielding.

While the government delegation did not disclose the specifics of the unresolved issues, it was revealed that the doctors had introduced new demands, stalling the progress of negotiations that appeared to be nearing completion.

Frustrated by the impasse, Koskei issued a stern warning, stating, "If the doctors will not have signed the return-to-work formula by Monday, we want to ask the court to put necessary measures to ensure Kenyans get services."

However, speaking to Kenyans over the phone, KMPDU Secretary-General Davji Bhimji Atellah reaffirmed the union's commitment to their cause, stating that the strike would continue until the government met their demands satisfactorily.

The Kenyan DAILY POST