I have received numerous calls from my friends abroad asking about “the government imprisonment of doctors” and for the love of my country, I’ve had to explain to them how independent our systems are and that the jailing is not government instigated but rather a result of the union leaders’ disregard to a judiciary ruling.
However, I have keenly followed developments in the whole doctor’s debacle and I must say I see a glaring error in judge Wasilwa’s decision to jail these officials: resolution of this crisis involves not only the KMPDU officials but also the County governments and the Ministry of Health. It therefore boggles me how the same pressure was not exerted to the other parties to resolve this crisis. This’ like when people are fighting, you hold one hands behind to be punched by the other in the face and claim to be separating them. For fairness, you either hold back both of them or stand in the middle.
It takes two to tango. Tango is a dance which requires two partners moving in relation to each other, sometimes in tandem, sometimes in opposition. Each of the partner is essential and tango with only one partner ceases to be a tango. Ending the doctors’ strike will take participation of all the key parties or else these are efforts in futility.
It has been argued that when the court makes rulings such as suspending the construction of SGR, suspending some clauses of the security laws etc for this reason or the other, it is said to be independent. But when the same court jailed KMPDU officials (For contempt of court, not for fighting for their rights) the government is accused of being behind it. Well, it’s for the manner in which it was handled.
An agreement or a consensual bargain requires the assent of both parties for the deal to be deemed successful. It won’t help to coarse doctors into ending the strike without resolving the underlying issues – hope the government reads this and take action. The sooner the better – Kenyans are suffering.
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