KMPDU renews fight for doctors’ pay and dignity
By Kenneth Mwenda, May 9, 2026Doctors in Kenya have backed a renewed push for better pay and working conditions, as the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) sets out its agenda for the next five years.
KMPDU Secretary General Davji Bhimji Atellah took to X on Saturday, May 9, 2026, following the KMPDU Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) held at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, to announce that doctors had given him another term to lead the union. He said he would focus on firm action between 2026 and 2031.
“To the doctors of Kenya: thank you for entrusting me with another five years of service and leadership,” he said.
“Your faith in our shared vision is deeply humbling, and my commitment to you remains unwavering,” Davji reiterated.
He said the new term will focus on stronger results, not just continuity. He called for faster reforms in the health sector and better treatment of medical workers across the country.
“The work ahead demands more than continuity, it demands bold action, faster progress, and greater results,” Atellah said. “From 2026 to 2031, we will intensify the fight for the dignity, welfare, and future of every doctor in this country.”
One of the main demands from the union is a 30 per cent salary increase for doctors. The union argues that doctors have gone years without pay rises, even as the cost of living continues to rise.
Atellah said the last salary adjustment came in 2017. He argued that current pay levels no longer match the economic reality facing health workers.
“Our demand for a 30 per cent increment is not high,” he said during the union’s Annual Delegates Conference in Nairobi.
Doctors’ welfare demands
The union also wants the government to fully implement the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). It says the agreement should improve pay structures from interns to senior consultants.
Doctors are also pushing for automatic employment of all medical graduates each year. The union says this would reduce delays that leave qualified doctors idle or underemployed.
Improved medical insurance cover for doctors working in counties is also part of the proposals. KMPDU says many doctors face risks at work without adequate protection.
Atellah also criticised the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), accusing it of blocking earlier attempts to improve doctors’ pay despite rising inflation.
He said the union will continue to press for fair treatment through formal negotiations and dialogue with authorities.
“When I speak to any of the authorities, I speak knowing very well that there are 10,000 doctors that I represent,” he said.
He also reflected on the 2024 doctors’ strike, saying union leaders resisted pressure and stayed firm on their demands. He said this helped secure progress, especially for medical interns.
“For the first time in almost 15 years, interns did not have to go to the streets before getting their salaries,” he said.
The union says its focus now is to ensure that reforms agreed in past negotiations are fully delivered, and that doctors work in better conditions while patients receive improved care.