Kisumu doctors set to strike as 21-day ultimatum expires

Doctors in Kisumu County are set to begin a strike at midnight after the expiry of a 21-day notice issued by their union over unresolved employment and staffing concerns.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) issued the notice to the county government on 28 July, warning that doctors would withdraw their services if key grievances were not addressed.

The notice signed by KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah cites three outstanding concerns: delays in implementing doctors’ overdue promotions, persistent staffing shortages in county health facilities, and the failure to transition doctors employed on contracts to Permanent and Pensionable (P&P) terms despite repeated government assurances.

The union says three issues remain unresolved: delayed promotions, a shortage of doctors in county health facilities and the failure to move doctors from contractual employment to permanent and pensionable terms.

KMPDU Nyanza chairman Dr Onyango Ndong’a said doctors were frustrated by what he described as a lack of commitment from the county government.

Several planned strikes had previously been suspended after the elevation of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to a parastatal was expected to free up funds to address long-standing staffing problems, he said.

“We hoped the elevation of JOOTRH would make things better, but we’re wondering what’s happening with the money saved in the past financial year. What we’ve witnessed is non-commitment: no recruitment, no replacement, no promotions,” Dr Ndong’a said.

The union says that despite savings running into hundreds of millions of shillings, county hospitals continue to face staff shortages and ageing infrastructure, while the morale among health workers remains low.

In January, KMPDU and the county government agreed to a 90-day period to resolve the grievances.

That was followed by a 30-day ultimatum, but the union says no substantive action has been taken.

The doctors’ strike could further disrupt healthcare services in the county, where nurses are also on strike.

With both groups of health workers off duty, some public hospitals could face severe disruption to services.