The government held a meeting with representatives of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) in continuing efforts to end the doctors' strike. The strike started December 5, 2016.
The meeting was convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House Mombasa and was attended by heads of government ministries and agencies critical to the discussions.
Cabinet Secretaries Henry Rotich (Treasury), Dr Cleopa Mailu (Health), the Chairperson of the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC) Sarah Serem and the chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Prof Margaret Kobia attended.
Doctors were represented by a 7-member KMPDU delegation led by the Chairman Dr Samuel Oroko and secretary general Dr Ouma Oluga. The KMPDU team was accompanied by a legal representative.
The government offered to raise the Enhanced Emergency Call allowance as follows:
– Increase to Sh66,000 from the current Sh30,000 for Job Group L – an increase of more than 100 per cent.
– Increase to Sh72,000 from Sh30,000 for Job Groups M-P — also an increase of much more than 100 per cent.
– Increase to Sh80,000 from Sh30,000 for Job Groups Q and above.
Government also offered a new Doctors’ Risk allowance at a flat rate of Sh10,000 per month.
The sum total of the government’s offer means that the minimum gross salary for doctors will increase to Sh196,989 from the current Sh140,244 at full implementation at the current entry Job Group “L”.
"The total impact of the government offer on the exchequer will be an additional expenditure of Sh4 billion annually – shared among the nation’s 5,000 doctors,'' said PSCU.
Doctors however declined the offer, Wednesday.