You have 21 days to comply, KMPDU's warning shot to counties

KMPDU issues 21-day strike notice over salary arrears. [File, Standard]

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a 21-day strike notice to 17 county governments over their failure to implement doctors’ salary adjustments.

Speaking on Wednesday, November 4, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah said the counties had failed to effect agreed basic salary increases that were due from July, despite funds having been allocated and disbursed to facilitate the payments.

According to Atellah, counties received at least Sh1.25 billion in 2025 to cover the adjustments. However, 17 counties, including Murang’a, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Lamu, Tana River, Laikipia, Isiolo and Vihiga, are yet to implement them.

Atellah ruled out further negotiations with the non-compliant counties, saying the agreed salary adjustments were no longer open for discussion.

"All 17 counties should not bother to call us for meetings or negotiations," Atellah said.

The salary adjustments stem from the 2017- 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the return-to-work formula signed on May 8, 2024, and an addendum signed in December 2024.

Atellah maintained that the 17 counties had no justification for failing to implement the adjustments, noting that 30 other counties had already complied.

The union has given the affected county governments until November 25 to address the dispute, failure to which, doctors are expected to down their tools.