[A Court of Appeal session over doctors’ strike, March 7, 2017. Photo/Twitter]
The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), have finally reached an agreement to end strike.
The clergymen took over salary talks with officials of the striking doctors, after months of failed talks between the medics and government representatives.
Doctors kicked off a nationwide strike, December 5, 2016, demanding that their 300 per cent salary increment be implemented.
Appearing before Court of Appeal, Tuesday, the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya through lawyer Peter Gachohi told Judges Martha Koome, Hannah Okwengu and Kantai Ole Sankale, that they had resulted to an agreement.
The Head of the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Njue, and Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, and Sheikh Adan Wachu among other religious leaders, were in Court, Tuesday.
The Court heard that both government and doctors agreed to soften their hard stands, to resolve the dispute, and that signing of the agreement was the only thing remaining.
The documents to be signed include a Recognition Agreement, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and Return-to-Work formula.
The Council of Governors (CoG) representative Jacklyn Mugeni however disputed the agreements, saying one of them should be signed first, for doctors to go back to work, before the final deal is made.
Doctors’ lawyers Philip Murgor, Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and James Orengo said their clients were ready to take the documents to governors in Naivasha, for immediate signing, so as to resume duty.
Governors are in Nakuru for the Fourth Annual Devolution Conference, which kicked off Monday 6, to March 9, 2017.
The judges finally ruled the case be mentioned, March 13.