At the Ministry of Health, the disruption seems to be looked at as a run-of-the-mill labour row. This is a direct and callous attitude of keeping citizens in harm's way even when they have a chance to intervene and get hospitals working.
Every day without adequate medics means patients wait, life-saving procedures are postponed and the vulnerable placed at greater risk. A hospital without its essential health workers is not merely inconvenient – it can become a direct route to the mortuary.
The aviation dispute carries a different but equally serious warning. Flights connect Kenya to investors, tourists, families and businesses. Delays and uncertainty mean cancelled journeys, lost hotel bookings, stranded travellers and damage to Kenya’s reputation as a reliable destination and business hub. Tourism numbers depend not only on beautiful beaches and wildlife but also on predictability.
Government must stop stonewalling until workers are forced onto the streets. It should anticipate problems, engage unions early and keep workers updated before grievances harden into strikes.
Pretending nothing is wrong has never solved a crisis. Stonewalling is a sure recipe for disaster.
Our unions must abandon the open-ended scorched earth craze and end the open-ended strikes. In mature democracies, a strike can be announced for a week or a few days so it serves as a serious warning that members have run out of patience.
This cannot be our defining culture. Our bureaucrats can do better.
Quote of the Day: “Short cuts make long delays.” —British author J R R Tolkien died on September 2, 1973
