Win for medics as KMPDU offered seat on Ebola task force

KMPDU SG Davji Atellah with Deputy SG Dennis Miskellah. [Courtesy]

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has been offered a seat on the national Ebola response task force, a move that could give frontline doctors a voice in decisions on outbreak preparedness, staff safety and patient care.

The offer follows days of pressure from the union, which accused the Ministry of Health of excluding doctors from decisions on how the country should respond to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

“During the KMPDU National Advisory Council (NAC) meeting held on 16th October 2026, the council extensively deliberated on the National outbreak preparedness and response strategy. It was formally resolved that the Union actively participate in the national coordinating mechanism to ensure effective technical contribution, seamless communication, and workplace safety for healthcare workers,” KMPDU had written to the Ministry of Health.

KMPDU had demanded direct representation in the team coordinating the response, arguing that medical professionals should not be left to implement plans they had no role in developing.

The Union added: “The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to formally request the inclusion of KMPDU representation in the National Ebola Taskforce.”

The union’s push intensified after Kenya confirmed infections among health workers who had attended to the index patient, raising fresh concerns about preparedness and the protection of medical staff.

“We are consumers of the plan given to us by the Ministry of Health,” KMPDU national chairperson Dr Abidan Mwachi said during a union meeting in Naivasha, calling for doctors to be included in decision-making.

Mwachi argued that doctors had firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing hospitals and should help shape decisions on preparedness, prevention and treatment.

The task force coordinates the national response, including surveillance, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, case management, risk communication and collaboration across borders.

KMPDU’s inclusion could strengthen the link between national planning and the realities faced by healthcare workers in hospitals and isolation facilities. Before their inclusion, the key players were: Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Dr Mary Muthoni, Director General Health Dr Patrick Amoth, Ouma Oluga – Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Neema Kimambo, WHO country representative in Kenya, Dr Lul Riek, Africa CDC Eastern Regional Centre coordinator, regional public health support, Luigi D’Aquino, Chairperson, Development Partners for Health in Kenya: development-partner coordination; and Khatra Ali, Council of Governors for county coordination.

The task force also includes officials from other ministries, including interior and agencies, security services, and technical teams. The ministry just illustrated a broad mandate of a multi-agency team but not a registry of the members.

Doctors have raised concerns about the availability and quality of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as the need for safe working conditions during the outbreak.

The union has warned that health workers should not be expected to treat patients without adequate protection.

Earlier, KMPDU Deputy Secretary General Dennis Miskellah said union representatives needed to be involved in assessing protective equipment and isolation facilities before they were deployed.

“If they want to involve us, let them call us into that task force so that in every step, there is transparency. We are not fighting, but we need to work together to get out of this mess safely, so that we can go back to our lives and build our country,” Miskellah said.

The appointment of Dr Dennis Miskellah to the task force by CS Aden Duale comes as Kenya strengthens its response to Bundibugyo Ebola, a strain for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

The spread has also exposed the risks faced by healthcare workers and the importance of identifying infections early, tracing contacts and preventing transmission in health facilities.

According to the union, representation on the task force would mark a shift from raising concerns from outside the response structure to participating in discussions on how those concerns should be addressed.

However, the impact of the move will depend on the role KMPDU is given, whether it can contribute to key decisions and how recommendations on staff safety and preparedness are implemented.

All taskforce meetings and discussions are held close to the chest and every member is sworn to follow the right channel of communication, only through the Ministry of Health. This in part helps in reducing misinformation and disinformation during such a critical time.

“Contacts, patients and budgets are confidential and should not be shared for public consumption.”  a source said.

The Ministry of Health’s response to the union’s earlier concerns, including the terms of the offer and when its representation will begin, will be important in determining whether the move translates into meaningful participation.