Doctors to Take to the Streets Again as Government Fails to Honour 2024 Agreement
By Nairobian Reporter
Doctors in Kenya have announced that they will stage a nationwide strike on Tuesday, citing the government’s failure to implement a return-to-work formula agreed upon last year. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Davji Atellah, confirmed that healthcare workers will protest against unfulfilled promises made by the Ministry of Health.
The upcoming demonstrations mark yet another wave of discontent within the healthcare sector. On May 8, 2024, doctors ended a grueling 56-day strike after securing an agreement addressing salary arrears, the hiring of trainee doctors, and medical insurance provision. However, nearly a year later, KMPDU claims the government has backtracked on its commitments.
Government’s Unmet Promises
Speaking in a video message on Monday evening, Atellah lamented the government’s failure to uphold its end of the deal. He stated that despite last year’s efforts to secure better working conditions, the authorities have not acted on their commitments.
“Such a time last year, March 2024, we were on the streets; we negotiated with the government, went on strike and got an agreement. Again this year 2025, we are back on the streets because the government does not know how to honour agreements,” Atellah said.
One of the key agreements included the implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which stipulated that intern doctors should receive a monthly salary of KSh 206,000. Additionally, the government pledged to pay 50 per cent of the basic salary arrears owed to doctors.
In December 2024, KMPDU called off another planned strike after the government showed willingness to implement the CBA. However, Atellah now says the optimism was short-lived, as doctors once again find themselves resorting to industrial action to have their grievances addressed.
Healthcare Workers Mobilized for Protest
KMPDU has urged all healthcare workers, including interns, to participate in Tuesday’s demonstrations. Atellah warned that failure to act would only result in further exploitation.
“If you keep quiet and stay calm, you will be robbed of everything you have by this government, even your house. So you have to come out strongly,” he urged. “I’m asking all the doctors, all the interns—if you don’t come out, be assured that you’ll lose everything that you have.”
The union emphasized that strikes remain the only effective means of compelling the government to act.
“It’s time to fight, and when we fight, we win,” Atellah declared.
Healthcare Crisis and Insurance Controversy
The planned strike comes amid ongoing concerns about Kenya’s struggling healthcare system. In a recent audit report, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that the Social Health Authority (SHA) is not managed by the government but by private individuals at a cost of KSh 104 billion.
KMPDU, through its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, accused the government of exploiting junior doctors while failing to provide reliable and comprehensive medical insurance.
“We refuse to let the government exploit, abuse, and drive its own junior doctors into depression and suicide while they struggle to save lives in a collapsing, overwhelmed healthcare system; one that has now trapped all Kenyans in a fraudulent medical insurance scheme with no reliable and comprehensive cover,” the union posted.
However, President William Ruto has defended the SHA system, stating that it is being run by a consortium of technology companies to curb fraudulent claims, unlike the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“That is why we said we are going to have a consortium of technology companies that is going to make sure there are no fraudulent claims in SHA, and they are going to make sure that system is not paid for by the government of Kenya. It will be a fee-for-service facility that will make sure we protect citizens’ contributions,” Ruto said on March 4.
What’s Next?
With tensions rising and doctors set to return to the streets, Kenya’s healthcare sector faces another period of disruption. Public hospitals, already struggling with limited resources, may see further service breakdowns as doctors and other healthcare workers walk out in protest.
As Tuesday approaches, all eyes will be on the government to see if it will make last-minute efforts to avert the looming crisis. However, with KMPDU adamant that only concrete action will prevent the strike, Kenya’s healthcare sector appears to be on the brink of yet another showdown.
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Doctors to Take to the Streets Again as Government Fails to Honour 2024 Agreement