Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Ongili better known as Babu Owino has threatened to table an impeachment motion against Health Cabinet Sectretary Susan Nakhumicha.
Speaking on Tuesday, March 25, Babu Owino said Nakhumicha had failed in the health ministry and should be removed from office.
“The CS has proven to be very incompetent. We want her to step aside, we will bring an impeachment motion against Health CS,” Babu said.
The MP asked President William Ruto to organize a meeting with the doctor’s union and resolve the stalemate in the health sector.
Why Ruto Should Intervene not Nakhumicha
He explained that the issue is urgent and needs the attention of the president not even the health CS.
“We want the president to call for a meeting with doctor’s union and resolve this problem within a week failure to who we will announce our next call of action because people are dying in hospitals,” he said.
He emphasized that the government should not let the doctors’ strike last for a hundred days like the 2017 case.
Babu Owino asked Ruto to honor the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed between the government and the doctors.
He explained that the health ministry should place medical graduates in the internship program as agreed in the CBA.
“Every year a doctor is trained by an average of around Ksh600,000 which comes to around Ksh3.6 million. Then after finishing your degree, you are not deployed anywhere. That is so wrong,” he said.
The MP opposed the proposed deductions of intern’s salary adding that the doctors be be paid their arrears owed by the government.
Babu Owino’s New Opposition Team
During the press conference, Babu Owino unveiled a new team of MPs who said will fight for the interest of the people going forward.
The team consists of Starehe MP Amos Mwago, Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo and Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje.
Saboti Constituency Caleb Hamisi, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna and Githunguri MP Wamuchomba Gathoni are also part Babu’s new team.
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Babu Owino said the Azimio Coalition has gone slow on the government and the new team will take over opposition duties.
“We have issues that we will be addressing from time to time. This is the team that will be giving direction in this country because we have seen a little bit of laxity in the opposition and therefore this team will take its rightful place to ensure that the rights of Kenyans are fought for,” he said.
Besides, he explained that the team will go to the extent of holding rallies and calling for regional demonstrations to achieve this goal.
Doctors’ Union Leader
In an interview on Monday, March 25 Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah accused the government of forcing the doctors to down their tools.
He said the Union has held more than six meetings with the health ministry, but the Union has not received any offers from the government.
“The strike that we are on is a government fueled strike because they failed in their obligations and previous commitments of the same issues that we have brought up now,” he said.
He said the issue of posting medical interns was discussed in 2023 but it reoccurred, and the government went ahead to deduct their salaries by 91%.
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According to him, there is a court judgement compelling the government to honor the CBA, but it hasn’t despite its commitment.
Atellah also said there is a shortage of doctors in the health facilities yet at the same time there is an unemployed workforce, and the government is rolling out the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.
“The strike may prolong for so long not because of the unions but because negotiations or bargaining with government is like milking stones,” he said.
Nakhumicha Previous Announcement
Nakhumicha announced on March 18 that the government will start positing medical interns from April 1, 2024.
She said the Ministry of Health had received communication from the Treasury regarding disbursement of funds for posting process.
The CS also stated that the KMPDU will participate in the review of the internship policy that is currently ongoing.
However, Atellah later countered that they were not in agreement with the government on the new draft industrial policy.
He maintained that any agreement has to be done based on the current CBA framework the court issued.
