Cabinet sets stipends for medical interns at Ksh70K
The cabinet has endorsed the government directive to set the internship stipend at Ksh70,000.
The directive was endorsed during a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto, where Cabinet Secretaries argued that other interns in public service are paid Ksh25,000.
The Cabinet was adamant that it is unsustainable to pay medical interns Ksh206,000 a month.
"The Cabinet was briefed on the ongoing industrial action by healthcare workers. The members were informed that 19 issues were in contention, but only four concerned the National Government – basic salary arrears, scholarships for postgraduate studies, medical insurance and stipends for medical interns," the Cabinet stated.
"All the issues have been resolved save for the stipend of interns."
The cabinet has also approved the revised guidelines on the terms and conditions of service for board members and staff of state corporations.
The revised guidelines will provide salary bands and allowances for CEOs, board members, vice-chancellors, chancellors and members of university councils.
Additionally, the Salaries and Remunerations Commission and the State Corporations Advisory Committee will be key players in determining the terms and conditions for state corporations.
The cabinet was informed that so far, 2.9 million bags of fertiliser have been distributed to 538,061 farmers compared to 1.09 million bags to 270,000 farmers in April last year.
Farmers registered on the fertiliser online portal have hit 5.9 million compared to 2.3 million last year.
Members of the Cabinet also approved the terms of a negotiated settlement of the commercial contracts and financing agreements for the Itare and Arror dams.
The matters that the contractor, CMC de Ravenna, had taken for arbitration have since been withdrawn. Consequently, the government and CMC de Ravenna will enter into a court settlement.
In the new terms, Itare Dam will be completed, while the construction of Arror Dam will begin.
The Cabinet also approved the purchase of six parcels of totalling 11,000 acres of land in Naivasha, including 6,000 acres for settling squatters and 5,000 acres for industrial purposes.
