The Senate Health committee chairman and Migori Senator Wilfred Machage has said the plans by the government to replace striking doctors is a poor decision, terming it as a drastic measure. “You cannot replace doctors who have been working in Kenya with those who have no experience in the Kenyan context,” he said.
He said that even though he doesn’t agree with the doctor’s uncompromising stand, he still doesn’t agree with the drastic measure from the government, “I think the government should’ve waited a little longer before taking these drastic measures.”
During the ongoing Devolution conference in Naivasha, Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya said in the meeting they didn’t resolve to hire doctors from a specific country. “Foreign doctors might even ask for more that we cannot afford,” he said. The governor said any pay increase must be guided by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier on indicated that the government will not be blackmailed by the doctors, and the Senate Health Committee Chairman Machage said he hopes the decision by the government won’t stand, “I hope the president will rescind his decision,” he said.
