KU hospital staff call off strike after board disbanded

Normalcy has resumed at the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) with a two-day strike by medics and staff coming to an end.

Striking members of staff were complaining of interference by the hospital's board in the day-to-day running of the institution.

The strike ended a day after President William Ruto disbanded the entire hospital board with immediate effect and accepted the resignation of Prof. Olive Mugenda as the chairperson of the hospital’s board.

The newly appointed acting CEO, Dr. Zainab Gura, has promised to address all challenges facing staff in due course.

According to the employees, the hospital’s board suspended their medical cover, leaving them and their dependents at risk of lacking access to health services. 

They subsequently demanded the reinstatement of the cover and reimbursement of money they have used to settle medical expenses; failure to which they would withdraw their services. 

The staffers also claimed that the KUTRRH board has been interfering with operations at the facility.

They accused the board of mischief, saying the appointment of Irungu Kamau to replace Ahmed Dagane as CEO was flawed.

Medics also accused the management of failing to honour a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).