The National Federation of Health Sector Unions (FNSS) on Thursday called for the immediate release of five doctors arrested after failed salary negotiations. FNSS deputy leader Marie Bukuru defended the detained medical professionals, emphasizing that requesting a salary increase is a fundamental right protected under labor laws.
In a statement broadcast on Bonesha FM, Bukuru reinforced the legitimacy of wage demands, saying, “Requesting a salary increase is a right enshrined in labor relations between an employer and an employee, as stipulated by law. Since the beginning of time, anyone who works for another has always sought better wages when their livelihood becomes unsustainable. This will continue until the end of the world.”
Bukuru insisted the doctors had committed no wrongdoing. “They made their demands while on duty… Everyone has the right to seek better conditions for themselves. Making a request or expressing grievances is a normal process. Those affected should be released without any conditions.”
The union urges the Ministry of Health to engage in dialogue with worker representatives instead of resorting to punitive measures. “FNSS urges the Minister of Public Health to abandon the notion of distancing himself from social dialogue and instead embrace a culture of dialogue—a fundamental pillar that promotes mutual understanding, social cohesion, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts,” said FNSS in an earlier statement.
Earlier this week, international media reported that five doctors who resigned from private medical institutions after unsuccessful salary negotiations were arrested without a warrant between December 2024 and January 2025. Burundi’s intelligence services accused them of “undermining state security.” Their arrests appear linked to wage demands made by both full-time and part-time medical professionals.
Citing unidentified sources, VOA reported that additional doctors had been threatened and were receiving intimidation messages that left them terrified.
“The detention of these medical professionals is not only an act of violence but also anti-union and anti-democratic. It clearly signals an attempt to intimidate workers into silence, even in the face of numerous social injustices suffered by the workforce,” according to a statement by FNSS.
In November 2024, the union of general practitioners in Burundi, SYMEGEBU, had initiated negotiations with private medical institution owners, demanding salary increases to more than $680 per month for full-time doctors and $17 per hour for part-time doctors but their demands were met with complete rejection.
Burundi’s health sector is facing an acute shortage of medical practitioners as many leave for better opportunities abroad. The issue took center stage at a roundtable discussion in Bujumbura earlier in December, where Health Minister Lyduine Baradahana highlighted the urgent need for investment in the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
Minister Baradahana acknowledged that Burundi has a limited number of specialized doctors and is struggling to retain its medical workforce. Pay disparities across East Africa exacerbate the problem. She revealed to parliament last year that a specialist doctor in Burundi earns BIF 650,000 per month, significantly less than their counterparts in neighboring countries: FRW 1,300,000 in Rwanda, $3,000 in Kenya, and $1,300 in Tanzania. Reports indicate that around 30,000 specialized doctors have already left Burundi, with many relocating to Rwanda.
The National Council of the Order of Doctors in Burundi (CNOMB) confirmed the ongoing migration of medical professionals. CNOMB Vice President Philbert Sendegeya said: “Since 2020, there’s been an exodus of doctors to neighboring countries and even to Europe due to low salaries.” He urged the government to revise healthcare wages to prevent further departures.
The crisis extends to nurses as well. Joseph Akumuryango, spokesperson for the SYNAPA union, pointed to the rising cost of living as a major factor. He reported that six nurses recently left Legentil Clinic alone, prompting renewed calls for salary adjustments across the sector.
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