HEALTHCARE WORKERS PROMISE TO DEMONSTRATE EVERY TUESDAY.

To force the implementation of their grievances, doctors, clinical officers, and laboratory officers have decided to hold weekly demonstrations.

The demonstrations would take place every Tuesday, according to a joint statement from the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

They are going to stage protests at the Ministry of Health and the Parliament on Tuesday of this week, and then they are going to the offices of the Council of Governors.

"Commencement of the next phase of the strike beginning tomorrow, followed by weekly demonstrations every Tuesday," they stated.

The unions have also unitedly petitioned the President to form a working group with multi-sectoral agencies to thoroughly address the ongoing problems in the health sector for future generations.

Opinions have been expressed that the President, in his capacity as the head of state, ought to step in and offer a resolution, given that the impasse puts the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at risk.

The unions claimed that the CoG had failed in its constitutional duty to offer advice and guidance to each county as required by Sec. 20(1)(c) of the Intergovernmental Relations Act Laws, despite the CoG's crucial role in the implementation of devolution, government guidelines, policies, and statutes in the counties.

Following the failure of Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome to retract his remarks as required on Sunday by civil society and unions, they have once again threatened to take legal action.

"The IG's assertion concerning demonstrations obstructing major public highways and roads, disrupting vehicular flow and pedestrian movement lacks merit," they stated.

"Furthermore, the claim that the use of whistles and vuvuzelas during demonstrations constitutes a public nuisance, causing discomfort to patients and disrupting hospital operations is erroneous," they stated.

They insisted that they would stay on strike until their demands were met and that their strike had received the proper legal backing.

The government was urged to cease bullying and threatening striking physicians on Monday by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

According to a statement from KNCHR, doctors are constitutionally protected from picketing, protesting, and demonstrating.

Instead, during the demonstrations, the commission demanded that both protestors and non-protesters get sufficient security.

It's about time, according to Chairperson Roseline Odede, for all parties to negotiate a return-to-work schedule.

"The KNCHR calls for genuine consultations between the government and the doctors to urgently resolve the outstanding issues and agree on a return to work formula," stated Odede.

She expressed concern about how the current doctors' strike has affected and would continue to affect Kenya's healthcare system directly.