Mombasa health services face shutdown as doctors issue 7-day strike notice

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a seven-day strike notice to the Mombasa County government, warning that health services could grind to a halt if longstanding labour grievances are not addressed.

In a sharply-worded letter issued on Tuesday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah accused the county of “wilful negligence” in handling doctors’ welfare and failing to honour binding agreements, despite what the union described as “some strides” in improving salary payment timelines.

The union cited multiple unresolved issues, top among them non-compliance with the 2021 Return-to-Work Formula, which it termed a legally binding agreement.

Dr. Atellah said the continued breach has eroded trust between doctors and the county administration, while also raising concerns over career stagnation within the county’s health workforce.

The County is currently overseeing the systemic stagnation of its medical workforce. 28 Doctors have been pending redesignation since suitability interviews held on 15th July 2022. 45 Consultants have since qualified but remain unrecognized within a staff establishment that has not been updated in years,” he stated.

“This delay not only denies doctors their rightful earnings but also exposes the County to legal enforcement under Petition E014 of 2021 – ELRC Mombasa.”

The KMPDU boss further alleges that at least 67 doctors are employed on what he called exploitative contractual terms and are placed on a non-transparent manual payroll system.

He also accused the county of deducting statutory and third-party payments from doctors’ salaries without remitting them, leading to loan defaults, blacklisting by credit reference bureaus, and lapses in insurance coverage.

In addition, the doctors’ union chief criticised what he described as political interference in the running of health facilities, pointing to the interdiction of the CEO of Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital as an example of “procedural hostility” and administrative overreach.

“The union hereby demands the immediate resolution of all the issues mentioned above within the next 7 days. Take notice that should these grievances not be resolved to the Union's satisfaction within 7 days of this notice, all KMPDU members in Mombasa County will withdraw their labor effective Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, at 00:00 Hours,” stated Dr. Atellah.

“The county government shall be held solely responsible for the paralysis of healthcare services and any subsequent loss of life or property resulting from this industrial action.”