Kenyan court frees striking doctors' negotiators

By Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Seven doctors jailed two days earlier were freed on Wednesday in a bid to end a two-month strike by medics in Kenya.

The Court of Appeal ordered the doctors -- members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union -- be released while they appeal one-month prison sentences imposed for contempt of court on Monday.

“The seven shall be released immediately from prison pending the hearing of the appeal,” Justice Wanjiru Karanja said. “The parties should undertake to resume negotiations forthwith with a view to resolving the outstanding issue in order to restore normalcy in the public sector.”

Public sector doctors who have been on strike over pay -- they are called for a 2013 collective bargaining agreement to be honored -- were joined by medics in the private sector on Wednesday who had previously been dealing with patients from public hosptitals.

Karanja also ordered the freed negotiators to be joined by officials from the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights in the mediation process and report within seven days on any progress.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga attended the hearing and told reporters outside court that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s failure to resolve the strike should count against him in the August election.

“I want to congratulate the judges for this ruling and the lawyers who have worked throughout the night to prepare this case for the release of these doctors,” he said. “But I say that I am sad and we are all sad as Kenyans that this should be happening in our country to doctors.”