“Governors Saying We Support The Doctor Strike. Really!”

 President William Ruto has expressed his dismay over county chiefs supporting a nationwide strike by medical professionals despite a majority of whom fall under devolved units.

President William Ruto, speaking at the Third National Wage Bill Conference at Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, challenged delegate units in support of the strike to pay the doctors.

“If you support the doctor strike, pay the money they ask for,  we must stop chasing what is popular, we must go after what is right, you have leaders who are in their place including governors saying we support the doctor strike. Really!” President Ruto bellow.

Aggrey James Orengo Siaya County Governor has been on record supporting the strike taking a contrary position to the Council of Governors.

President Ruto criticized leaders for their support of the strike as a means of gaining popularity, rather than addressing the real challenges facing the nation.

President William Ruto termed pronouncements endorsing the strike led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union “KMPDU” and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers “KUCO” as populist and insincere.

The Ministry of Health offered Sh70,000 based on an allocation of Sh2.4 billion but Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union “KMPDU” rejected it insisting on Sh206,000 for intern doctors. The ministry contended that fulfilling the union’s demands would require a budget of Sh4.9 billion.