The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has pushed back against claims that some doctors received excess pay, saying the classification used is wrong and does not reflect the actual situation on the ground.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Secretary General Davji Atellah said the majority of doctors are still waiting for payments owed to them, estimating that about 95 per cent have pending arrears.
He blamed the confusion on errors in how the figures were worked out, pointing to the inclusion of annual salary increments in the calculations.
“We firmly reject this interpretation, as it directly contravenes the ELRC 2020 judgment,” he said, emphasizing that doctors are entitled not only to the principal adjustments but also to interest accrued due to delays.
The response follows a two-day meeting between the union and the Principal Secretary for Public Service Jane Imbunya, where both sides sought to address the long-running dispute over the special code used for basic salary adjustments.
Atellah said several government bodies, including the Directorate of Public Service Management, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Council of Governors, and the National Treasury, carried out a detailed review to separate and confirm what is owed to each doctor and the total amount required.
“While this exercise was concluded in February, the SRC required additional time to issue advisories to counties as part of their verification process,” Atellah noted.
He explained that the initial estimate placed the outstanding amount at Sh450 million. However, after the implementation of a circular issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in February 2026, the figure was revised down to Sh330 million.
“The SRC directive dated 10th March 2026 now instructs all County Governments to implement basic salary adjustments with immediate effect, include all accrued arrears in the computation, and apply the special code provided by the DPSN to facilitate payment,” he said.
Atellah added that the union will closely track how counties comply with the directive to ensure that payments are made in full and without further delay. He said the union will also carry out its own checks on the figures released.
“We do not recognize the so-called ‘overpayments.’ On the contrary, doctors are owed not just the principal adjustments, but interest accrued due to the delayed implementation of the CBA,” he said.
He noted that attention will now turn to ensuring the adjustments are fully carried out and to concluding talks for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement
