The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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President William Ruto has admonished striking doctors regarding their demands for salary increases and interns’ allowances, citing the country’s struggle with a substantial wage bill.
Addressing congregants during a Sunday service at Eldoret AIC Fellowship church, the President highlighted that Kenya expends Kshs. 1.1 trillion annually, nearly half of the collected revenue, on salaries and wages.
“It is crucial for us to acknowledge the necessity of living within our financial means. We cannot continue to spend beyond our means,” stated President Ruto, addressing the issue publicly for the first time.
He emphasized that Kenya’s wage bill stands at 47% of revenue, surpassing the recommended 35%, necessitating a dialogue to ensure accountability among salary earners and reduce the wage bill to allocate more resources for job creation.
President Ruto disclosed a consensus with the cabinet to trim the budget from Ksh. 4.2 trillion to Ksh. 3.7 trillion to align with the country’s financial capabilities.
Asserting that borrowing to pay salaries is unsustainable, he assured that all intern doctors would be absorbed under the government’s offered terms, despite emphasizing that the resources only suffice to provide a stipend of Ksh. 70,000 for one year.
With the strike entering its fourth week, medical unions, spearheaded by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), rejected the government’s offer. Despite the government’s offer to deploy eligible medical student interns and pay accrued Basic Salary Arrears, the KMPDU urged interns not to accept the letters, citing their exclusion from negotiations and the absence of clear, legally binding resolutions on resuming work.
Similarly, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) dismissed the Ministry of Health’s directive to its interns, advising them against accepting the offer letters.
