Judge Hellen Wasilwa has sentenced doctors union officials to one month in jail for contempt of court. The ruling came after the officials failed to reach an agreement with COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli to end the ongoing industrial action.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials had been negotiating with a team led by Atwoli, which included the Council of Governors, the Treasury, and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), among other government organs. However, the union officials insisted on the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Judge Wasilwa dismissed the union's claims that the government had signed the 2013 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The jailing of the doctors' union representatives has cast doubt on the prospects of resolving the strike, as their imprisonment may hinder further negotiations.
