This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. The threat of a strike by medical workers is a stark reminder of the deep-seated corruption and inequality that plagues the country's healthcare system.
According to reports, medical workers are demanding better working conditions, including access to protective gear, which is a legal and ethical right. They are also seeking payment of unpaid allowances, which is a matter of basic decency.
The allegations of corruption and theft of funds meant for the healthcare system are a matter of fact. In 2017, the ministry of health lost Ksh5 billion ($50 million) in shady deals, including the procurement of shipping containers passed off as mobile clinics.
The nurses' strike threat also raises questions about the lopsided way society is organized. MPs are treated like small monarchs, with first-class travel and allowances that are out of touch with the reality of the average Kenyan.
As Tee Ngugi, a Nairobi-based political commentator, notes, 'No country has ever developed using that model of corruption, lop-sidedness, and lack of basic decency.'
Published on May 11, 2020 by Tee Ngugi, a Nairobi-based political commentator.
