The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Health (MoH) over alleged plans to slash intern doctors' salaries.
In a statement on Thursday, February 20, the union accused the government of attempting to slash salaries for medical interns from Ksh 206,000 to Ksh 70,000.
This alleged plan has irked KMPDU which condemned the Ministry’s actions, calling them deceitful.
"Afya House has become a hub of deceitful and regressive malpractice. Barely two months after signing an agreement securing full intern postings and salaries as per the 2017 CBA, the Ministry of Health is now attempting to reverse these gains by imposing an outrageous salary cut from Ksh 206,000 to Ksh 70,000.
"The latest statement by the Cabinet Secretary is not only malicious but also backward and shameful—it must be condemned in the strongest terms. Nowhere else but at the Ministry of Health do programs evolve in reverse," the statement read in part.
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KMPDU has now given the government until March 18, 2025, to ensure all interns are posted and paid in full under the terms of the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The union warned that failure to comply will result in nationwide strikes, protests, and the withdrawal of medical services.
"We, therefore, issue an ultimatum to the Ministry: By 18th March 2025, all interns must be posted and paid in full as per the existing CBA. Failure to comply will result in nationwide strikes, protests, and the withdrawal of medical services.
"It does not matter how many times we must resist injustice, take to the streets, or go on strike; we will always be ready to fight for what is right. As individuals, we may experience fatigue, but as a united medical fraternity, we will never tire and we will never surrender," the statement added.
This comes three days after the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) announced a nationwide strike, citing unresolved issues affecting their profession.
KUCO attributed the strike to difficulties in pre-authorization for their cadre, concerns over the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program, and stalled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations.
In response, the National Association of Clinical Officer Anesthetists-Kenya (NACOA-K) has declared its full support for the strike, urging members to stand in solidarity with the union.
"Our union (KUCO) has announced a Clinical Officer’s strike commencing midnight today due to various issues like the inability of our cadre to preauthorize, UHC and CBA.
"As the leadership of the association, we fully support the union and therefore call upon you to accord them the necessary support for the goal to be achieved," NACOA-K Secretary-General Daniel Kithome said in a statement on Monday, February 17.
