Doctors threaten to down tools over salary increment and arrears

KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Doctors have issued a fresh strike notice to the government over salary increments, unpaid arrears and failures to fully implement return-to-work agreements.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) yesterday accused the government of neglecting doctors’ welfare despite rising inflation and increased workload in public hospitals.

According to KMPU Secretary General Davji Atellah, doctors have not received a salary increment for nearly a decade since the implementation of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

And now demand a 55 per cent pay rise.

 “The last time doctors had salary increments was under the 2017-2021 CBA. Up to date, doctors have not had any salary increments documented for 10 years,” he said during the union’s Annual Delegates Conference in Nairobi.

The delegates also demanded that negotiations for the 2025-2029 CBA be concluded within 90 days, warning that failure to do so would trigger industrial action.

Atellah further demanded immediate employment of 2,000 doctors before the end of June, saying the commitment had already been captured in a 2024 return-to-work agreement signed with the government.

“We have given an ultimatum that the government must comply with this agreement and employ 2,000 doctors before June, and then give us a clear annual employment plan,” he said.

The union also demanded payment of Sh1.75 billion in doctors’ arrears, saying the funds had already been released to counties in July last year but had not reached beneficiaries.

“In this meeting today there is a resolution that this money must be paid within 21 days from our deliberations,” Atellah declared, warning that public hospitals could grind to a halt from July if their demands are ignored.

KMPDU further raised concerns over inadequate medical insurance for doctors, saying many healthcare workers were being forced to pay out of pocket for treatment despite serving in public hospitals.

“The majority of doctors are not able to get the services that they themselves offer because of poor medical insurance schemes. On this issue, we are giving an unequivocal demand that every doctor must have proper medical insurance,” he said.

At the same time, the union acknowledged what it termed as improved handling of intern doctors by the Ministry of Health, noting that posting of interns had become more seamless compared to previous years.
Atellah said the Ministry had assured the union that intern doctors would be posted by July 1 and that the programme had already been factored into the budget.

He, however, warned county governments and the Ministry of Public Service against reallocating funds meant for doctors’ salaries between July 2025 and June 2026.

“That money cannot be reallocated. If by the payslip of June that money is not there, then by July 1, 2026, they will not see any doctor in the hospitals,” he warned.

The KMPDU boss also welcomed President William Ruto’s recent announcement on public sector wage increments, saying the move had opened room for fresh CBA negotiations after years of resistance from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

“I want to commend the President for taking that action of giving a general wage increment. It now gives us the leeway to negotiate CBAs without SRC becoming a stumbling block,” Atellah said.

The meeting that brought together 600 doctors representatives from across the country unanimously ratified leaders elected during polls held on April 2, officially handing them a fresh five-year mandate running until April 2031.

Atellah said the new leadership had been tasked with pushing for implementation of long-standing agreements affecting doctors, including salary reviews, recruitment and comprehensive medical cover.

“We have been given an unequivocal mandate that in case these things that we have asked for are not honoured, we sign a strike notice and execute it,” said Atellah.