This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, health services in Mandera County were interrupted after doctors in the region downed their tools, citing the county government's failure to implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2017.
The doctors, who are members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentist Union, are also accusing the county administration of failing to improve security at their workplaces.
The strike, which started after a two-week notice, caused confusion at the Mandera County Referral Hospital, with patients remaining unattended and some seeking referrals to private facilities.
According to union officials, the strike was a result of stalled negotiations between the doctors' union and Mandera County Executive over unresolved grievances emerging from the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.
The contentious issues pointed out by the union officials include poor working conditions, delayed promotions, and failure to release doctors for postgraduate studies.
