Peterson Wachira: Issues that drove Clinical officers to strike

Among the demands listed were a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), guidelines for career progression for clinical officers, and a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) contract.

The KUCO chairman objected to salary recommendations by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), stating that medical interns are qualified individuals mandated to complete a post-graduate internship to obtain a license to practice medicine and not students.

“The Public Service Commission gave an establishment with a structure. It said for clinical officers' diplomas they should be paid at job group H, for a degree, job group K, and so forth for nurses and doctors,” he said on Spice FM.

“But the other day we saw some figures that we don't know where they came from by the SRC, saying this is what will be paid. The body that is mandated to give the structure is the PSC. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission can only advise in line with an established structure. so we wonder where they got the figures from.”

He maintained that interns should be paid in their right job group.

Wachira added that the Ministry of Health responded after they began their strike. He said that they have been in discussions with the ministry.

His sentiments come after KUCO had advised interns to disregard the placement letters being issued by the Ministry of Health on April 4.

In a statement, KUCO Secretary General (SG) George Gibore stated that the offer letters did not align with the Ministry-Union agreement, and more time is needed to ensure compliance with their requirements.

“It has come to our attention that the Ministry of Health has issued directives for interns to collect their offer letters directly from their premises. However, we urge you to disregard any such communication from the Ministry of Health persuading you to collect your placement letters,” Gibore stated.

“We are currently in discussions with the Ministry of Health to address certain punitive terms within the offer letters, which deviate from the standard rates. Until these negotiations are concluded and the Union communicates otherwise, we advise all interns to refrain from collecting any offer letters from the MoH or any other authority.”

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Lyn Mengich has defended the proposal to slash the interns’ salaries.

During her appearance on Citizen TV on Tuesday, she clarified that the pay cut would not affect interns already posted but would rather apply to new medical graduates starting their internships.

"There is no reduction. What we have set is a new stipend for interns that is just being posted, so the issue about reduction is not correct. You only reduce what you already have; these are interns who have just graduated from university. They were not earning Ksh. 206, 000 so therefore we cannot say there was a reduction," she said.