A PUBLIC hospital in Kenyan capital Nairobi has sacked 100 doctors who are taking part in a nationwide strike that has been ongoing for almost a month, its management said on Tuesday.

The Kenyatta University Referral Hospital said new doctors had been hired in place of those striking.

Doctors in Kenya went on a nationwide strike in mid-March demanding better pay and working conditions.

President William Ruto on Sunday broke his silence over the strike, saying there was no money to pay striking doctors.

“We must be honest with ourselves and the truth is that we must live within our means, we can't borrow money to pay salaries,” President Ruto said.

The doctors’ union has remained solid in its dispute, and on Tuesday hundreds of doctors took part in protests and presented a petition to parliament urging lawmakers to intervene in their dispute.

This is not the first time Kenyan doctors have struck over poor pay and working conditions. 

In 2017 doctors took part in a 100-day strike that saw people dying from lack of care. The strike ended with the doctors’ union signing an agreement with the government to increase their pay.

Doctors say part of the agreement reached in 2017 has not been implemented.