KENYA: Doctors In Kakamega Continue Strike As Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists And Dentists Union Marks 20 Days

By Lisbeth Micheni,Kenya 

Kakamega County’s medical doctors have now been on strike for three weeks, protesting years of stalled career advancements, unpaid statutory contributions, and unfair employment contracts.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has thrown its full support behind the healthcare workers.

Speaking at the Western Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM)on May 3, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah described the challenges facing doctors in Kakamega as “extremely serious.” He emphasized that the strike is a response not to a lack of dedication, but to seven years of denied promotions, failure to remit pension and other statutory deductions, the use of locum agreements offering less than one-third of agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) salaries, and exclusion from medical insurance schemes.

While doctors in neighbouring counties Busia, Vihiga, and Bungoma have seen some improvements, including the shift from temporary to permanent and pensionable roles, Kakamega remains an unresolved hotspot Dr. Atellah noted that although pending issues linger in Bungoma, the grievances in Kakamega are the most acute.

Delegates at the AGM unanimously expressed their solidarity with the striking Kakamega doctors. “We demand respect and fairness,” declared Dr. Atellah. “The county administration must implement the CBA’s provisions immediately or face further action.”

As the union gears up for its Annual Delegates Conference, it has warned that any county failing to enforce the 2017 CBA’s return‑to‑work terms will be held accountable. “We will not back down or give in,” Dr. Atellah asserted. “Our struggle for dignity, equity, and full CBA implementation carries on.”