Tensions are escalating in Kenya’s medical sector as the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a hard 14-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Health, demanding the immediate disbandment of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).
The union says the regulator has failed to uphold its mandate to oversee medical practice and protect patients, citing widespread corruption and negligence within the council.
The union’s formal letter to the ministry exposes a growing conflict between healthcare professionals and the body entrusted with safeguarding standards in the sector.
According to KMPDU, the council has neglected its primary role of regulating practitioners and handling cases of medical misconduct, leaving both patients and doctors unprotected.
The latest dispute was sparked by the circulation of an audio recording, almost two years old, in which a KMPDC official is allegedly heard discussing a Sh1 million bribe with a doctor embroiled in a medico-legal dispute. The union views the clip as proof of deeper, systemic corruption within the council.
“The council has gone rogue; they are not doing their job. Their job is to regulate the profession and handle negligence cases. For a long time, it has come to our attention that they are involved in corruption,” said Davji Atellah.
KMPDU insists the problems go far beyond the audio recording. The union highlights irregularities such as questionable approvals of training curricula that place dentists on par with other cadres, and the continued licensing of substandard facilities, some linked to botched procedures.
“Every facility that operates in the country is regulated by the council. It does not need any corruption because it deals directly with the lives of people. As long as they are there, we cannot expect justice for any patients or doctors,” added Atellah.
To pressure the government into action, KMPDU has threatened to advise doctors to stop paying regulatory fees, a move that could cripple the council’s operations.
“When the people who are entrusted by the association, KMPDU or the Kenya Medical Association, go into this council to ensure that the doctors get justice, the patients get justice, turn around and become cabals and the face of corruption, then it becomes a problem,” stated Atellah.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale is under growing pressure to respond decisively. He acknowledged receiving the union’s complaints and confirmed that a review meeting had been held with the council.
“I have listened to the views of the union. I have asked Professor Were to have a meeting, they did yesterday, the recommendations are on my desk and I will take action,” said Aden Duale.
With only two weeks to respond, the government’s next move could either restore confidence in the regulatory system or deepen the rift between doctors and the council, further threatening Kenya’s health sector stability.
