Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has denied calling off today’s planned protests meant to push the government into posting some one thousand five hundred intern doctors.
According to the union’s Secretary General, Davji Atellah, an unauthorized entity seized control of the organization’s official X handle before publishing a misleading protest suspension announcement.
“Reports circulating to the effect that #OccupyMoH has been suspended, is false. The union handle has been compromised and we are trying our best to regain control and clean it,” he said.
“The union handle has been compromised and we are trying our best to gain control of it and clean. We must overhaul the system including those that have hacked the union handles. We remain strong. We remain focused. Tukutane MoH,” he wrote on X.
KMPDU, in a letter addressed to Nairobi Area Regional Police Commander, gave notice of a day and night sit-in at the Ministry of Health headquarters, in Afya House, starting today, Monday July 8,2024.
However, an early morning tweet appeared to suspend the planned protests citing “ongoing discussions” and “commitments” from the government to deploy the interns as agreed in the doctors’ 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The announcement was promptly met with backlash necessitating Atellah’s clarification.
“My colleagues currently leading KMPDU should realize that the issues fronted for #OccupyMoH goes beyond labor struggles. They are also health governance issues,” remarked Dr. Ouma Oluga, a former Secretary General of the organization.
By Yvonne Moraa
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