Kidero vows not to pay 314 striking KNH doctors

Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has vowed not to pay the salaries of 314 post-graduate Kenyatta National Hospital doctors who have been on strike since August, further paralysing services at the referral facility.

The governor has written to Finance secretary Henry Rotich, saying that the salaries are not budgeted for as there was no allocation for the doctors’ pay from the national government.

“In the 2014/15 financial year, Nairobi was granted Sh11.34 billion and any attempts to load any additional financial obligations above our budgeted provision will adversely affect service delivery,” he said. “I wish to therefore advise that, going forward, paying of theses salaries by the county government is untenable and will not be done from our end.”

The national government has held that the money for the salaries was included in the amount allocated to Nairobi from the Treasury. The doctors were employed by the national government before they were transferred to City Hall upon devolution of health services.

READ: Court dismisses bid to stop transfer of health services

But as post-graduate students, they have remained attached to KNH, which is still under the national government on the strength of its position as a referral facility. In a letter dated September 11, the Health principal secretary, Dr Khadijah Kassachoon said that payment of the salaries would amount to duplication as the money had already been transferred to Nairobi.

“The role of the ministry is to support the county governments through payment of tuition fees and other training charges for health workers and the county governments to continue paying the salaries and allowances for health workers since allocation for salaries has been transferred to the counties,” the letter said.

The doctors, qualified medics pursuing post-graduate training to specialise in various fields, are yet to receive July and August salaries.