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The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has began a structured negotiations with the government in a renewed push to secure a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering doctors for the 2025–2029 period, with a target of concluding the deal by December 2026.
In a statement, KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah said the decision followed a joint meeting of the union’s National Advisory Council (NAC) and National Executive Council (NEC) held on October 16, 2026, which resolved that negotiations should begin immediately.
The union says the new approach is intended to secure better terms of service, improve doctors’ welfare and establish a dignified working environment for medical professionals across national and county health facilities.
The Ministry of Health has already forwarded its counter-proposal following the submission of the union’s comprehensive CBA proposal. Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki has since constituted an Inter-Ministerial CBA Negotiation Committee and invited KMPDU for an inaugural meeting scheduled for October 26 and 27 at Mombasa Beach Hotel.
The committee has been mandated to negotiate the national government agreement alongside county-level CBAs, in what the union considers a coordinated approach to addressing doctors’ concerns across the health sector.
At the county level, the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have agreed to the union’s request for centralised negotiations covering all county governments.
KMPDU has nominated a team of 12 leaders, led by senior National Executive Council officials, to represent doctors in the county negotiations, which are scheduled to begin on October 29 and 30.
Atellah said the union was approaching the negotiations with lessons drawn from the difficult 2017–2021 CBA cycle, which was marked by prolonged disputes and sacrifices by doctors seeking improved working conditions and recognition of their profession.
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“That journey tested our collective resolve, but it also proved that when doctors stand together, change is unstoppable,” he said.
The union believes that having coordinated negotiating teams for both national and county governments will help streamline discussions and improve the chances of reaching an agreement within the set deadline.
KMPDU has urged its members to remain united behind the negotiating teams, warning against complacency as discussions begin. The union says the lessons of previous negotiations underscore the need for vigilance, preparation and solidarity.
“We are stepping into these negotiation rooms organized, legally anchored, and unified across both national and county levels,” Atellah said.
The CBA negotiations come against the backdrop of longstanding disagreements between doctors and government authorities over employment terms, working conditions and the resources required to deliver quality healthcare.
For KMPDU, the immediate priority is to turn the renewed dialogue into a binding agreement that addresses doctors’ concerns while supporting sustainable healthcare delivery.
“Our health, our rights, and our future are non-negotiable,” Atellah said, calling on members to support the process as the union pursues a December 2026 deadline.
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