Veterinary doctors have petitioned Parliament to address what they describe as a 19-year pay disparity between them and their medical counterparts despite undergoing similar clinical training and serving as part of Kenya’s health workforce.
The Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA) wants the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Labour to push for harmonisation of salaries and allowances for veterinary doctors and align internship stipends with those paid to medical doctors.
Appearing before the committee, KVA President Dr Kelvin Osore said veterinary doctors undergo five years of clinical training followed by a one-year internship, but face additional occupational risks while working in uncontrolled field environments.
Osore said veterinarians are exposed to diseases and hazards including rabies, anthrax and Rift Valley Fever, as well as injuries arising from animal handling.
“We have avoided strikes out of duty to public health, but patience should not be mistaken for contentment,” Osore told the committee.
The association told MPs that a 2007 job evaluation by the Ministry of Public Service recommended harmonisation of the remuneration of veterinary doctors with comparable health professionals.
KVA further claimed that the National Treasury allocated Ksh449 million annually in 2017 towards implementing the recommendations, but the Salaries and Remuneration Commission did not implement the proposed harmonization.
The association is seeking a Ksh50,000 monthly health risk allowance, a non-practice allowance ranging from KSh12,000 to KSh60,000 depending on job group, and a Ksh40,000 extraneous allowance.
It is also seeking a KSh20,000 call allowance, KSh10,000 uniform allowance and KSh20,000 Health Workers Service Allowance for veterinary doctors.
For veterinary interns, the association wants their stipend harmonized with that of medical interns, which it placed at between KSh180,000 and KSh208,000.
The petition also highlighted staffing shortages, with KVA telling MPs that several counties have an inadequate number of veterinary doctors to meet demand.
The committee, chaired by Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, said it would investigate why previous proposals on remuneration harmonisation had not been implemented.
“If there was an approved proposal, we need to establish who was responsible for implementing it and what happened along the way,” Chonga said.
MPs also questioned the regulatory framework governing the veterinary profession, with Kangundo MP Fabian Muli arguing that the profession’s representation remains divided between the Kenya Veterinary Board and the association.
Vihiga MP Ernest Kagesi said the profession’s legal framework had affected its bargaining power and called for investigations into officials responsible for implementing the 2007 recommendations.
Kangema MP Peter Kihungi, meanwhile, asked the association to provide documentary evidence supporting the 2007 harmonisation proposal, saying the original government instruments would be crucial to the committee’s investigations.
The committee said it supports the petition in principle but requires additional documentation before making recommendations.
The committee is expected to hear from the Principal Secretaries responsible for Livestock Development and Public Service, as well as the chief executives of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and Public Service Commission, before preparing its report.
