Dr Davji Atellah, Secretary General of Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists’ Unions (KMPDU) has rejected recently published stipends for health care interns.

In a letter addressed to Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha from Salaries and Renumeration Commission, medical officer interns will earning a minimum stipend of KSh47,000 every month.

Pharmacist interns and dental interns will also be earning a minimum of KSh47,000 every month and a maximum of KSh70,000 per month.

Nursing officers and clinical officers with a Bachelor’s degree will be earning a minimum monthly stipend of KSh35,000 while the highest paid in their cadre will be getting KSh50,000.

Clinical officer interns at the Diploma level will be earning a minimum of KSh27,000 monthly and the maximum amount capped to KSh37,000 every month.

Dr Atellah, accompanied by his deputy Dr Dennis Miskellah, and other unions’ leaders including KUCO Chair Peterson Wachira, blasted SRC for reducing interns’ stipends.

KMPDU officials spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon before National Assembly’s Health Committee expressing their grievances.

“The government is happy when the strike is going on. Our strike is on. We want them to present to us people who can make decisions.

Apparently, SRC has slashed allowances of medical interns by 91 percent, exarcebating the already dire situation.

“They start with interns, they are going to come for our allowances. They are going to cut all our salaries. While this is happening we have seen many taxes being added on our payrolls,” Dr Atellah stated.

According to another letter shared by KMPDU Sec Gen dated March 11, the minimum stipend agreed for medical officer interns was KSh50,000 not KSh47,000 as indicated by SRC to Health CS.

Health care workers’ strike has now intensified as eight more unions have reportedly joined in.

These include; Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), Pharmacists, nutritionists among others.