The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has shifted its focus to doctors’ salaries, pending arrears, and welfare reforms after securing a major legal victory over a petition that sought to challenge its April 2026 elections.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court dismissed the case contesting the union’s April 2 elections, clearing the way for KMPDU leaders to pursue their agenda without legal distractions.

In a statement on Saturday, June 20, 2026, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah said the court’s decision had removed any uncertainty surrounding the legitimacy of the union’s leadership.

“The union has triumphed in the litigation challenging our elections. The rule of law and the democratic will of our membership have prevailed,” the statement read in part.

According to KMPDU, the court found the petition to be statute-barred and legally defective, effectively ending the dispute over the elections.

Atellah stressed that the ruling leaves no legal obstacles standing in the way of the current leadership.

“Let me be unequivocal: there is now no case, no pending litigation, and no legal barrier challenging our elections. Our National Executive Committee and branch officials stand fully authenticated, secure and legally undisputed,” he said.

With the election dispute settled, the union says its attention will now turn to securing better pay and working conditions for doctors across the country.

Doctors’ CBA

At the top of KMPDU’s agenda is the implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), payment of outstanding salary arrears, enforcement of Return-to-Work Formula agreements, and the deployment of medical interns.

The union is also pushing for the settlement of pending postgraduate training fees and broader improvements in healthcare workers’ welfare.

Significantly, KMPDU has intensified efforts to secure a 55 per cent salary increase for doctors through negotiations on the 2025–2029 CBA.

“The election chapter is closed, and the legal chapter is closed. The chapter of action begins now. You did not elect us to sit in courtrooms; you elected us to deliver,” Atellah said.

“We will translate this legal triumph into immediate momentum for your welfare and the negotiation of the 2025-2029 CBA. We must complete this process and secure the 55 per cent salary increase we currently demand.”

The union disclosed that it has already issued formal notices to the government seeking adjustments to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD) system.

The changes are intended to facilitate the implementation of revised salary structures and expedite the payment of outstanding arrears owed to doctors.

KMPDU is also demanding the immediate start of negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA, in line with resolutions adopted during its Annual Delegates Conference on May 9, 2026.

As the union embarks on the next phase of its agenda, Atellah urged members to put election-related divisions behind them and unite around the fight for doctors’ rights.

“Our adversaries are not within our ranks; our true battles are against the systemic failures that threaten our profession every day. KMPDU is a house with many rooms, but it stands on one unbreakable foundation: solidarity,” he said.

He called on doctors working in all 47 counties, state corporations, ministries, and public universities to support the union’s push for better remuneration and improved working conditions.

“The work begins now. The results will follow, and we shall leave no doctor behind,” Atellah said.