Boni Khalwale Slams Cherargei For Attacking Medics: "Where Were You When They Were Scoring As"

• Senator Boni Khalwale reprimanded Senator Samson Cherargei following his proposal to standardise intern payment across all professions
• Khalwale defended doctors, stating they should not be mistreated for their brilliance, in response to Cherargei
• The lawmaker warned against lawmakers using the discussion to target doctors, emphasising that doctors are as Kenyan as they are.
• He criticised Cherargei for berating doctors, reminding him that he was a beneficiary of adult education and that those he berated were top performers in school

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale has reprimanded Nandi senator Samson Cherargei following his proposal to standardise intern payment across all professions.

The lawmaker's proposal came in response to Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' (KMPDU) demand that medical interns be paid KSh 206,000 monthly for their services per the 2017 CBA.

In response to Cherargei, Khalwale stated that doctors should not be mistreated for being brilliant minds.

Khalwale warned that what was happening in the Senate was lawmakers taking advantage of the discussion to target doctors.

"I've watched in this country, I've listened in this parliament, including this afternoon, people, our colleagues attempting to use this opportunity to attack doctors. Be careful, doctors are just as Kenyans as we are. We cannot punish them for being amongst the finest in the country," he said.

What did Khalwale tell Cherargei

The lawmaker went all out against the Nandi senator, questioning what he was doing while his schoolmates strived to become doctors.

Khalwale added that Cherargei was lucky to be a lawyer, arguing that he was a beneficiary of adult education in the country.

"The same doctors you are vilifying, Senator Cherargei, where were you in your primary school when your classmate beat you and qualified with better grades to become a doctor, and you couldn't? I request the senator of Nandi to be apologetic.

In fact, it's a privilege to him that we have introduced a system of adult education, gumbaru in degrees; otherwise, traditionally, he should not appear in court at all because it's only gumbaru that has allowed him to become a lawyer. He should be told the people he is berating are the same ones who got an A in everything when he was struggling with C-," he added.

How much did KMPDU want for interns?

On Wednesday, May 8, KMPDU and the government signed the return-to-work formula, marking the conclusion of the doctors' strike.

According to the KMPDU intern, doctors ought to be paid KSh 206k, but the doctors' union failed to agree with the government.

Despite this agreement, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah revealed that the parties had not reached a consensus on the primary contentious matter, namely the assignment of medical interns.

What else you need to know about medical interns

• The union wanted, among other things, the reinstatement of the KSh 206,000 monthly pay for interns per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed by the parties in 2017.
• Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria vowed the government would not pay intern doctors KSh 206,000.
• President William Ruto asked KMPDU to accept the offer of KSh 70,000 for the 1,500 interns, saying the government could afford that.

• Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

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Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale at a past meeting.

Boni Khalwale Slams Cherargei for Attacking Medics: "Where Were You

Boni Khalwale Slams Cherargei for Attacking Medics: "Where Were You