KMPDU leadership sets clear priorities after re-election
By Kenneth Mwenda, April 16, 2026Doctors in Kenya have given their union leaders a fresh term in office. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) re-elected its entire top team in early April 2026. Members showed strong support for continuity at a time when pay disputes and staffing shortages still affect public health services.
Davji Ouma Atellah kept his position as Secretary General unopposed. The union registered all elected officials with the Office of the Registrar of Trade Unions. On April 2, 2026 the authorities gazetted the results. An official extract dated 7 April 2026 lists the new team:
- National Chairperson: Abidan Mwachi Muchuma
- Deputy Chairman General: David Kahura Mundia
- Secretary General: Davji Ouma Atellah
- Deputy Secretary General: Dennis Miskellah Mbegah
- National Treasurer: Mercy Nabwire
- Deputy Treasurer: Renoh Achieng Omoro
Several council members also took office on the same date. The Registrar certified the list as a true copy of the union’s register.
Union sets clear priorities
In a message to members, on April, 16, 2026, Atellah thanked doctors who voted or took part in the process.
“This is not merely a personal victory, it is a collective triumph for our union,” he wrote. He promised to push harder on long-standing issues. The union now holds a clear legal mandate and plans to move quickly.
The priorities stand out in plain terms. The leaders will demand immediate payment of all outstanding arrears from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Defence. They want every agreed basic salary adjustment to appear correctly on payslips. County governments must clear 2024–2025 arrears so no doctor works while owed money.
The union also focuses on the next group of interns. It will press for smooth posting of all 2026 interns and push for mass employment to fill gaps in the workforce. Pending promotions must happen without delay, based on merit. The team will enforce every part of past Return to Work Agreements and find a lasting fix for medical insurance.
Negotiations for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement form a central goal. Atellah said the union aims to sign and implement the new CBA within this financial year. Past talks secured arrears for thousands of doctors in 2025, but many issues remain.
The Secretary General called for unity.
“Individually, we are a whisper but together, we are a roar,” he stated.
He invited losing candidates to stay involved and help strengthen the union. An Annual Delegates Conference will follow soon to elect trustees and set up committees.
Doctors face pressure from staff shortages, delayed pay and threats to union rights. The re-elected team says it will listen to members while leading firm action. The message ends with a direct call:
“Let us move forward as one union… committed to securing dignity for every doctor.”