Government says KSh1.75 billion released to repay money owed to doctors: ‘We have fixed the problem’

• The Ministry of Health has disbursed KSh1.75 billion to settle salary and allowance arrears owed to doctors and medical interns since 2016.
• Public Health Secretary Mary Muthoni confirmed that half of the Sh3.5 billion debt owed to doctors had been paid, with plans to clear the remaining balance.
• Medical interns will receive their future salary arrears, without deduction, in accordance with the recent amendment agreement with the KMPDU.
• PS Muthoni assured that the government values ​​health personnel and is committed to settling outstanding payments to health professionals.

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Kirinyaga – The Ministry of Health (MoH) has confirmed the disbursement of KSh1.75 billion to settle unpaid salaries and allowances owed to doctors and medical interns.

The amount is part of a larger debt accumulated since 2016 as the government struggles to clear arrears that have been a source of contention within the medical fraternity.

Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni announced the payment during a visit to Gichugu, Kirinyaga County on Saturday, December 28.

The PS revealed that the government had settled half of the KSh3.5 billion owed to doctors, a sum accumulated since 2016 due to late payments and issues related to the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

“It is important to note that we have settled the amount of Ksh1.75 billion that was owed to doctors emanating from the ABC from 2016 until this year and we will continue to work very closely with them as our staff health is very dear to us,” said PS Muthoni.

She assured that the government would work to settle the remaining balance to ensure that health professionals are fully remunerated for their work.

Will medical interns receive their arrears

In addition to clearing arrears owed to doctors, PS Muthoni also confirmed that medical interns will receive their share of payments from their next salaries.

Interns, who were also affected by the delays, will no longer face deductions under an addendum to the agreement reached with the Kenya Medical Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

“Our medical interns have already received their arrears or will receive their salaries this month which also emanate from the 2016 ABC. We will pay this cohort the money owed to them, and we will not deduct as agreed in the addendum. “This is what we did the other day with the Kenya Doctors, Pharmacists and Dentists Union,” Muthoni assured.

Why did the KMPDU want to strike?

As previously reported, the KMPDU has warned of an imminent strike if the government does not honor the agreed salary rates for intern doctors under their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The union, led by Davji Atellah, expressed frustration over the government’s failure to meet the promised monthly salary of KSh200,000 for interns.

KMPDU cited the government’s proposed salary range of between KSh47,000 and KSh70,000 as a significant violation of its collective agreement.

Edited by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke