Kenya’s healthcare system is once again at a defining moment.
In recent weeks, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has intensified its push for improved welfare for doctors, issuing fresh strike notices in counties, demanding long-overdue salary adjustments, and warning of possible nationwide industrial action if longstanding commitments continue to be ignored. At the center of this renewed momentum is one message: agreements affecting doctors must be respected, implemented, and protected.
Meru and Isiolo Face Healthcare Disruptions
KMPDU has issued formal 21-day strike notices to the county governments of Meru and Isiolo, citing persistent labour violations and failure to honour agreements affecting doctors’ welfare. If unresolved, doctors in the two counties are expected to withdraw services beginning in early June.
In both counties, doctors have raised concerns over delayed salaries, stalled promotions, staffing shortages, and the continued failure to implement provisions of the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). In Meru, doctors have further raised concerns regarding delayed career progression, prolonged stagnation in job groups despite meeting promotion requirements, and unresolved salary-related obligations.
For KMPDU, these notices are not merely warnings—they are part of a broader effort to ensure county governments uphold labour laws, respect negotiated agreements, and protect the welfare of healthcare workers who continue to operate under immense pressure.
ADC 2026: Doctors Renew the Push for Better Pay
At the recently concluded 10th Annual Delegates Conference (ADC 2026), delegates from across the country unanimously adopted resolutions demanding stronger protections for doctors and immediate action on welfare concerns.
Among the most significant proposals was the push for a substantial salary review under the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). KMPDU leadership argued that doctors have endured years without meaningful salary adjustments despite rising inflation and the increasing cost of living. The Union emphasized that compensation must reflect both economic realities and the critical role doctors play within the health system.
Beyond salaries, ADC delegates resolved to push for comprehensive medical insurance for all doctors employed by both national and county governments, full settlement of outstanding salary arrears, and stronger protections for doctors at every stage of service—from internship to specialist practice.
A 90-Day Ultimatum to Government
The Union has now issued a 90-day ultimatum for negotiations around doctors’ welfare and pay-related concerns to be concluded, warning that failure to make meaningful progress could trigger nationwide industrial action. KMPDU has also demanded urgent implementation of previously agreed salary adjustments and settlement of outstanding arrears owed to doctors.
According to resolutions emerging from ADC 2026, delays in implementing signed agreements continue to undermine morale within the profession and place unnecessary strain on healthcare workers already operating in overstretched environments. The Union maintains that accountability and timely implementation are essential to rebuilding trust and stabilizing the healthcare workforce.
Beyond Pay: A Fight for the Future of Healthcare
At its core, the current push extends beyond salary negotiations.
Doctors continue to advocate for the annual employment of more medical professionals to address chronic shortages, the automatic absorption of interns into permanent and pensionable terms, and stronger investment in working conditions that allow healthcare workers to deliver safe, quality care to patients.
Kenya continues to face significant health workforce challenges, with many facilities operating under severe staffing shortages while trained doctors remain unemployed or underutilized. KMPDU argues that resolving these contradictions requires deliberate policy action, sustained investment, and political goodwill.
The Road Ahead
The coming weeks will likely determine whether dialogue prevails or whether counties—and potentially the country—face renewed disruptions in healthcare services.
For KMPDU, however, the position remains consistent: doctors deserve fair compensation, safe working conditions, timely payment of dues, career progression, and respect for legally binding agreements.
Because protecting doctors is ultimately about protecting healthcare itself.
