KMPDU Demands Immediate Action Over Unfulfilled Welfare Commitments
Doctors in Embu County, through the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), have served the County Government with a 14-day strike notice, warning that all medical services will be withdrawn starting 1st December 2025 unless urgent reforms are enacted.
What triggered the strike
Persistent delays in promotions, causing stagnation of many doctors despite years of service and responsibility.
Ongoing shortage of medical personnel, forcing available doctors to work under unrealistic pressure while locum doctors on poor pay are used to fill critical gaps.
Failure to remit statutory deductions, including social health or pension contributions, for many doctors and locums, violating previously signed agreements and undermining coverage.
Continued reliance on locum doctors rather than employing permanent staff, leaving many doctors insecure about their future and compromising continuity of care.
The Union’s Position
KMPDU leadership has emphasized that all previously agreed interventions, including those under the 2024 Bipartisan Committee Report, remain unimplemented. The County Government’s failure to act constitutes a breach of good faith, undermining constitutional labour rights, public service standards, and collective bargaining frameworks.
The Union notes that despite repeated correspondence, official meetings, and memoranda submitted over months, the county has neither addressed staffing gaps nor remedied pay and deduction arrears, leaving doctors with no option but industrial action.
What’s Next
If the demands are not met within the 14-day ultimatum, KMPDU doctors in Embu County will withdraw services completely, a step the union regrets but deems necessary to protect doctor welfare, safeguard patient safety, and demand accountability. In the meantime, hospitals across the county may experience disruption of elective services, delays in routine care, and increased pressure on remaining staff.
KMPDU calls on the County Government to swiftly engage with the union, honour its commitments, and avert a full-scale collapse of healthcare delivery in Embu. The union remains open to dialogue, but also resolute that signed agreements must translate into real action.
