The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), together with major health sector unions, has welcomed the recently signed Kenya–U.S. Health Cooperation Framework as a landmark step toward securing job security and strengthening Kenya’s healthcare system.
In a press statement dated 20 December 2025, the Health Union Caucus — comprising KMPDU, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), the Kenya Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), the Kenya Registered Community Health Nurses Association (KENAHPU), the Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUNAD), and the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) — expressed strong support for the agreement.
Describing the framework as a historic turning point, the caucus emphasised that the shift from fragmented donor-led aid to a government-to-government partnership places Kenyan health workers and patients at the centre of national health planning and resourcing.
For years, tens of thousands of health workers, particularly those involved in combating HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, have operated under insecure contracts dependent on fluctuating external funding. Under the new framework, unions welcomed the roadmap to absorb 13,800 frontline health workers onto the national public payroll by 2028, ending an era of precarious employment and strengthening institutional stability.
The caucus also noted that the agreement is designed to strengthen national sovereignty by channeling funding directly through Kenyan government institutions rather than through foreign non-governmental organizations, thereby reducing administrative losses and ensuring that resources reach priority services and communities where they are most needed.
Another key pillar welcomed by unions is the planned transition of medical commodity procurement to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) by December 2026, a measure expected to reduce stock-outs and ensure that essential medicines reach facilities without diversion or delay.
On the issue of health data, the caucus reaffirmed that the framework’s Data Sharing Agreement respects Kenyan law, ensuring that only aggregate, de-identified data may be shared for program monitoring, and that all health data remains the property of the Government of Kenya.
While the framework is currently under judicial review, particularly regarding data privacy concerns raised in court, unions urged stakeholders to consider the cost of delay in implementing measures that can strengthen the health system and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Health Union Caucus also recommended that the Ministry of Health and the Public Service Commission collaborate on a clear absorption framework for the additional 15,000 health workers not initially included in the agreement, and that robust audit systems be established to ensure transparency and curb corruption as implementation unfolds.
KMPDU welcomes this collaborative approach and remains committed to monitoring implementation to ensure that the framework delivers on its promise of a stronger, more resilient, and sovereign Kenyan healthcare system, one that prioritizes job security, professional dignity, and quality care for all.
