Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu was on Thursday, October 7, 2021, summoned t appear in Court for withholding salaries of doctors on study leave.
The governor is said to have withheld the salaries of 20 doctors since July because they have refused to cut short their study leave.
Ngilu was summoned to court after she defied a directive by the Employment and Labour Relations court which required her to release the salaries of the doctors by end of day on Wednesday, October 6.
File image of Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu. |Photo| Courtesy|
Read More
The directive was issued by Justice Monica Mbaru.
Through Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the doctors said they were given show cause letters on August 5. The letters indicated that they would not receive their July pay.
The union argued that the decision by the county government to withhold the doctors' salaries is unlawful and subverts Article 41 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya.
“The petitioner avers that the said doctors are training at various states such as USA, Tanzania, Ukraine and Kenya and the abrupt decision of the respondent to recall the said doctors was unreasonable and oppressive,” their petition read in part.
KMPDU argued that the medics had held meetings with the county government after which they agreed on a two-year full time post-graduate study leave at various universities.
They enrolled for specialised courses such as internal medicine, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oncology, diagnostic radiology and infectious diseases among others.
Their lawyer, Henry Kurauka stated that failure of the county to remit the salaries contravenes the Employment Act which requires employers to pay salaries and allowances at the end of the month.
