'No retreat, no surrender': KMPDU says as Kakamega doctors mark 20 days on strike

The doctors' strike in Kakamega County has entered its third week, with health workers decrying years of stalled promotions, unpaid statutory deductions, and exploitative contracts, even as the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) rallies behind them.

During the KMPDU Western Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Saturday, the union's Secretary General, Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, highlighted the gravity of the situation in Kakamega, calling it “dire.”

“Doctors have been on strike for 20 days, not for lack of commitment,” said Dr. Atellah, “but due to 7 years of being denied promotions, non-remittance of statutory deductions, exploitation through locum contracts with gross salaries below a third of CBA rates, and no access to medical insurance.”

The AGM, which brought together medical professionals from across the Western counties—Busia, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Kakamega—served as both a celebration of progress and a sounding board for persistent grievances.

While the union marked key victories in other counties, including the conversion of contractual terms to permanent and pensionable positions and improved employment conditions, Kakamega stood out as a glaring sore spot.

“In Bungoma, pending issues persist,” noted Dr. Atellah in a statement. “And in Kakamega, the situation is dire.”

The Western Branch doctors unanimously reaffirmed their solidarity with their striking colleagues, with Dr. Atellah declaring: “They made it clear: no more indignity, no more injustice. The county must act, and act now.”

As the union prepares for its upcoming Annual Delegates Conference, its message is clear: counties that have failed to honour Return-to-Work Formulas or implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will be held to account.

“We shall not retreat. We shall not surrender. We shall win for doctors. We shall win together,” said Dr. Atellah in a rallying call that underscored the union’s firm stance.

The fight, as he put it, is far from over: “The fight continues for dignity, justice, and the full implementation of our CBA.”