In the current tumult that grips the heart of Kenya, the striking doctors have become the latest embodiment of a proletariat at the mercy of capitalist exploitation, manifesting in what could be termed as a contemporary form of wage starvation. This scenario, an exemplar of the broader struggle against an oppressive system, deserves a critical analysis through the lens of socialist revolutionary change. The narrative of the Kenya doctors’ strike is not merely a tale of industrial action; it is a microcosm of the global class struggle, where the workers’ fight for just compensation and dignified conditions is continually stifled by the capitalist ruling class’s insatiable hunger for profit.
Over the decades, the tumultuous saga of Kenyan doctors striking has unfolded with a repetitious fervor, driven by grievous concerns over inadequate working conditions, unresolved pay disputes, and the government’s recurrent negligence in honoring previously negotiated agreements. Beginning in 1994, when the first significant strike cast a glaring spotlight on the abysmal state of healthcare facilities, demanding immediate government action towards the welfare of healthcare workers, a pattern was established.
This cycle of discontent and protest surged through the years, witnessing critical moments such as the December 2011 strike under the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), which sought the execution of a new pay package and enhanced working conditions. Despite brief resolutions and return-to-work agreements, the strikes recurrently underscored the systemic failures within Kenya’s healthcare sector, including understaffing, underfunding, and the pressing need for comprehensive reforms.
The narrative of struggle intensified with the marathon strike from December 2016 to March 2017, demanding the enforcement of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that promised substantial pay raises and better conditions, leading to a near-collapse of public health services. The recurring theme of governmental apathy persisted through subsequent years, with strikes flaring over delayed salaries, inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a general disregard for the safety and welfare of healthcare workers.
The year 2021 and beyond saw strikes erupting in various counties, including Nairobi, driven by unpaid salaries, lack of medical supplies, and unmet governmental promises, highlighting the chronic mismanagement and underfunding plaguing the sector. This historical chronology not only reflects the enduring struggles faced by healthcare professionals in Kenya but also epitomizes the broader conflict between the labor force’s demands for dignity and a state apparatus that consistently fails to meet these essential needs.
The protests unfurled in the streets of Kenya is one of stark contradiction and capitalist machinations. On one side, we have the public declarations of Felix Koskei, Head of Public Service, attempting to paint a picture of normalcy and dialogue. On the other, the resolute stance of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), led by Secretary General Davji Atellah, exposes the raw truth of the matter—the strike continues unabated because the capitalist state, in its essence, cannot reconcile its exploitation with the legitimate demands of its workers.
The chronic failure of these uprisings, far from being a mere consequence of state or managerial strategy, is primarily a reflection of a significant void in political organization and consciousness among the workers. Despite their critical societal role and intellectual capacity, the doctors find themselves isolated from the broader proletariat, lacking the guidance of a dedicated revolutionary vanguard to politicize and steer their struggle towards a genuine systemic upheaval. This isolation, coupled with a leadership prone to compromise under bourgeois pressure, ensures that any gains are temporary and superficial, leaving the systemic exploitation of healthcare workers unchallenged.
Political Organization of Workers: Entering the Arena of Power
This time round, the doctors, having taken to the streets, did not merely walk; they poured out their grievances in a vehement display of resistance against a dictatorial government that appears to oscillate between indifference and token conciliation. This spectacle of defiance, though commendable for its bravery, shines a stark light on the inherent weaknesses within the workers’ movement in Kenya—a lack of political consciousness and organization needed to push forward the struggle for higher wages. The collapse of negotiations between the doctors’ union and the appointed committee underscores a critical failure: the inability to seize political power from the capitalist machinery that holds sway over the nation.
The bourgeois UDA state, acting through its emissaries within the healthcare administration, effectively neuters any potential threat to its dominion, ensuring the continuation of oppressive conditions. This cycle of resistance and suppression, symptomatic of the broader class struggle, highlights not just the resilience of the working class but also the insidious capacity of capital to subjugate and pacify dissent through a combination of coercion and deceit.
A revolutionary socialist, would likely have focused on the critical role of political organization in empowering the working class to transcend the limitations of periodic strikes and enter the arena of political power. The situation in Kenya reflects a stark absence of a unified workers’ party, a vessel through which the proletariat’s demands could be transformed into a coherent political force capable of challenging the ruling class’s hegemony. Without this, the strikes, no matter how spirited, are doomed to eventual defeat, as the capitalist class wields the state apparatus with ruthless efficiency to preserve its interests.
The call for socialist revolutionary change, therefore, is not merely a call to arms; it is a clarion call for the political education and organization of the working class. The doctors’ strike, with its demonstration of collective action and solidarity, provides a fertile ground for sowing the seeds of political consciousness. Yet, this must be nurtured into a broader, more potent force—a workers’ party that can unite the disparate struggles of Kenya’s working class against their common enemy. The doctors have been on strike but so far, no political party has shown solidarity with them or supported them.
In this struggle, the specter of “starvation wages” and the refusal of the government to address the grievances of the medical professionals underscore a broader theme of capitalist exploitation. The government’s approach, marked by a blend of conciliatory rhetoric and steadfast refusal to meet the workers’ demands, exemplifies the inherent contradiction of capitalism: the need to maintain a facade of democracy and fairness while ensuring the uninterrupted flow of profits to the ruling class.
All said, the ultimate resolution to this conflict cannot be found within the confines of capitalist negotiation. The working class must seize political power, restructuring society to prioritize human needs over profit. This revolutionary transformation is predicated on the organization and political education of the proletariat, without which the cycle of strikes and repression will continue ad infinitum.
Consequently, the Kenya doctors’ strike is not merely a battle for better wages or working conditions; it is a clarion call for the working class to awaken to its political potential. In the face of capitalist exploitation, only through a united and politically conscious workers’ movement can the proletariat hope to seize the reins of power and inaugurate a new social order based on equality, justice, and democratic control of the means of production. The path ahead is fraught with challenges, but the history of class struggle teaches us that no force on earth can halt the march of workers armed with the power of political organization and revolutionary resolve.
Thus, the narrative of these strikes transcends the immediate context of healthcare, serving as a potent reminder of the urgent need for a cohesive political movement capable of confronting the capitalist system’s foundations. Only through the establishment of a united, class-conscious front, spearheaded by a revolutionary party, can the working class aspire to dismantle the capitalist apparatus and reforge society on socialist principles, ensuring that healthcare, alongside all necessities, is allocated by need rather than profit. For now, it is most likely that the doctor’s strike will fail and they will return to work after another fake return-to-work formula is drawn between the doctor’s representatives and the corrupt capitalist ruling class.
Okoth Osewe
makosewe(at)outlook.com