KMPDU begins CBA talks with Gov't as doctors push for better pay and working conditions

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) is shifting from industrial agitation to structured negotiations with the government in a fresh push to secure better pay, improved working conditions and employment protections for doctors.

In a statement on Monday, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Bhimji Atellah said the union’s leadership had resolved to pursue dialogue following a joint National Advisory Council and National Executive Council meeting held on October 16, 2026.

The negotiations are aimed at finalising the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with the union setting December 2026 as the deadline for concluding the deal.

The Ministry of Health has constituted an Inter-Ministerial CBA Negotiation Committee and invited the union to an inaugural meeting scheduled for Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, at Mombasa Beach Hotel.

The invitation, signed by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki, follows the ministry’s receipt of KMPDU’s proposals and the submission of a counter-proposal in August.

The union says its negotiating committee has been authorised to handle both national government and county government agreements.

KMPDU says the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have accepted its request for centralised negotiations covering all county governments.

The union 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 process with greater preparation and coordination, drawing lessons from the disputes surrounding the 2017–2021 CBA.

“Unlike the prolonged uncertainties of the past, we are stepping into these negotiation rooms organized, legally anchored, and unified across both national and county levels. The lessons of the 2017–2021 cycle have taught us vigilance, preparedness, and the absolute power of solidarity,” he said.

He added that the negotiations were an opportunity to improve doctors’ welfare and establish working conditions that recognise the demands of the medical profession.

The talks come against a background of longstanding disputes over delayed salary adjustments, unpaid arrears, promotions, job security and staffing shortages in public hospitals.

In July 2026, the Ministry of Health said it was engaging the Ministry of Public Service to facilitate payroll changes needed to implement agreed salary adjustments.

It also said it would pursue payment of outstanding salary arrears and work towards recruiting 2,000 doctors to address workforce gaps.

KMPDU has previously reported progress in paying arrears arising from earlier agreements, with thousands of doctors receiving payments in 2025. However, the union continues to push for the full implementation of outstanding commitments and the conclusion of the new CBA.

The dispute over doctors’ terms of service has also contributed to repeated threats of industrial action.

In July, the union warned of a possible nationwide strike over delayed salary adjustments and arrears, arguing that outstanding obligations had not been fully addressed.

Staff shortages and disputes over employment terms have affected county health services as well.

In February 2026, doctors in Meru threatened industrial action over staffing gaps, study-leave disputes and alleged failures to implement existing agreements.

These issues have wider implications for patients, as prolonged labour disputes can disrupt services, increase workloads for available staff and complicate access to treatment in public facilities.

Atellah called on doctors to support their negotiating teams as discussions begin at national and county levels.

“This is our moment to secure better terms of service, protect our welfare, and guarantee a dignified working environment that reflects the true value of medical professionals in Kenya,” he said.

The union’s immediate challenge will be to translate negotiations into an agreement that both sides can implement, including clear commitments on remuneration, employment conditions and outstanding obligations.

The December deadline sets a tight timetable for discussions involving the national government and 47 county governments. Whether the process delivers a final agreement within that period will depend on the progress of negotiations and the resolution of outstanding differences.

For KMPDU, the priority is to secure an agreement that improves doctors’ working conditions while reducing the risk of further labour disputes in the health sector.