Duale commits to settle doctors’ salary arrears, post interns in first meeting with KMPDU

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has announced several critical agreements reached with the Ministry of Health following the inaugural meeting with newly-appointed Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale held on Thursday morning.

Top on the agenda was the long-standing issue of delayed postings and payments for medical interns. According to the union, intern doctors will be balloted this month, with postings set to begin on July 1, 2025.

While CS Duale reportedly agreed with the union’s position that remuneration should be in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), he requested “three weeks to engage with the Treasury, Cabinet and the President on the same.”

Regarding medical insurance, the union revealed that the CS pledged to intervene and ensure civil servants are not locked out of the Social Health Authority (SHA) services due to delayed remittances.

“We expect this matter to be resolved within two weeks,” KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah said in a statement to newsrooms after the meeting.

The issue of post-graduate training fees for registrars also received attention, with the CS directing the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards to review and clear all pending dues within 30 days.

In what could be a significant relief for many public sector doctors, Dr. Atellah also revealed that CS Duale committed to clearing basic salary arrears for Ministry of Health-employed doctors by the end of May 2025. He noted that verification of the said arrears is scheduled to begin next week Tuesday, April 15.

He added that doctors employed by county governments who missed out on the December/January arrears disbursement will also be compensated.

“The ministry has committed to paying the 1,000 doctors who did not receive their arrears in the initial disbursement of December/January by the end of April 2025,” the union boss noted.

He also said a second and final batch of payments is expected between July and August this year, marking a hopeful end to a drawn-out salary row.

Further, according to Dr. Atellah, revised basic salaries are expected to start reflecting in payslips from July/August 2025, following CS Duale’s promise to work with the Council of Governors to ensure proper budgeting in line with the Return-To-Work Formula (RTWF) addendum signed in December last year.

On the fate of doctors employed under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has reportedly pledged to convert the contracts of 114 doctors to permanent and pensionable status within three weeks, pending consultations with the Council of Governors.

“As we move forward, let us remember that our strength lies in our unity and shared purpose. We are stronger together, comrades. In solidarity, we stand committed to ensuring the implementation and protection of the CBA and all our agreements,” Dr. Atellah said,