For years, certain private healthcare facilities in Kenya have systematically exploited foreign doctors by paying wages far below Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) standards, bypassing mandatory work permit requirements, and converting professional vulnerability into a business model. These practices are unlawful and directly violate Kenyan labour laws as well as International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on equal pay for equal work.
This exploitation harms the entire healthcare system. Institutions that dehumanize doctors ultimately endanger patients, erode medical ethics, and undermine quality of care. A workforce treated as disposable cannot deliver safe, ethical, and dignified healthcare.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) therefore fully support the Cabinet Secretary for Health’s directive on the licensing and lawful employment of foreign doctors practicing in Kenya.
Let it be clear: this is not about nationality. It is about human dignity, professional ethics, and the rule of law. Kenyan doctors are equally affected by these illegal practices through suppressed locum rates, chronic underpayment, and deliberate circumvention of clear KMPDC, SRC, and CBA guidelines.
KMPDU’s position is unequivocal:
Every doctor practicing in Kenya, local or foreign, must be employed under lawful, transparent, and dignified terms, consistent with labour laws, CBAs, SRC advisories, and professional standards.
Accordingly, KMPDU is commencing nationwide enforcement and monitoring to ensure full compliance across all health facilities.
The era of cheap, disposable doctors in Kenya is over.
Respect for doctors is non-negotiable. Patient safety depends on it.
