Kisii County Medics have accused Governor Simba Arati of trading in falsehoods over their salaries giving them empty promises.
As such, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials have now asked the National government to strip counties of the health function, claiming incompetency’s by some governors to manage the health docket.
According to KMPDU, the sector has been dominated by constant industrial strikes since devolution took effect.
Moreover, by Saturday, December 24, doctors across all health facilities in Kisii had not received their two-month salary three days since the Governor said he “had paid them.”
Simba Arati, who made the statement on Thursday noted that all salaries had been remitted to the County staff accounts and that ‘some have already made withdrawals.
Arati further told the striking doctors that he does not control the flow of cash from Treasury to the devolved unit. Thence, they should not dare him with strikethreats.
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The governor further threatened to relieve the doctors of their duties if they go on strike.
“If indeed he confirmed he doesn’t have control over how workers are paid, he should transfer the function to the national government,” said Linda Kemunto, a KMPDU Regional Treasurer.
Similarly, the Secretary General Dr Aggrey Orwenyo, alongside the union officials told off Simba Arati over threats of sacking doctors for seeking their rights.
“The governor should stop intimidating and victimizing county workers, doctors included with transfers. Doctors are not doing anything illegal by asking that their salaries be quickly processed,” said Dr Aggrey Orwenyo.
