Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha on Wednesday directed all protesting intern doctors to report to work pending the resolution of ongoing negotiations with the government.

The CS disclosed that this decision followed a meeting held last weekend between the government and representatives of doctors.

According to Nakhumicha, the meeting deliberated on several issues, including the posting of all doctor interns at a stipend rate of Ksh70,000 per month.

The CS stated that the Ministry would immediately post at least 552 interns, with the rest to follow depending on the availability of resources.

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Nakhumicha attributed the delays in the posting of interns to budgetary constraints impacted by the increasing number of medical graduates.

"The realities of the fiscal space, coupled with the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024, cannot permit this," Nakhumicha stated. "This is also due to the budget ceiling. The Ministry received an allocation of KES 3.7 billion in the Financial Year 2024/2025 for the internship."

Nakhumicha also noted she was awaiting the court's direction on a petition previously filed against the ministry challenging the payment of Ksh70,000 as a stipend to intern doctors.

"The court case notwithstanding, the parties agreed to continue pursuing a consensus position within 60 days that ended on Sunday, July 7, 2024," the CS revealed. "So far, numerous meetings have been held with good progress made towards achieving consensus."

The announcement by the Cabinet Secretary comes hours after a group of intern doctors held an overnight vigil outside Nakhumicha's office, demanding immediate posting.

The protests, which began on Monday, saw the intern doctors camp outside Afya House, holding a vigil while some doctors slept outside the Ministry headquarters.