The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has announced a shift from agitation to structured negotiations with the national and county governments over the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), targeting a final deal by December 2026.
In a statement issued by Secretary General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah, the union said its leadership had resolved to pursue dialogue following a joint meeting of the National Advisory Council (NAC) and the National Executive Council (NEC) held on October 16, 2026.
The union said negotiations would begin immediately, with separate engagements planned with the Ministry of Health and county governments.
“The negotiation committee was officially empowered to negotiate both the MoH and Counties CBAs, with a clear, uncompromising target to have the 2025–2029 CBA finalized by December 2026,” Atellah said.
According to KMPDU, the Ministry of Health has already forwarded its counter-proposal following the submission of the union’s comprehensive CBA proposal.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki has subsequently constituted an Inter-Ministerial CBA Negotiation Committee and invited the union to an inaugural meeting scheduled for Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, at Mombasa Beach Hotel.
The talks are expected to pave the way for negotiations on doctors’ terms of service, welfare and working conditions under the new agreement.
KMPDU also announced progress in its push for centralized negotiations with all county governments, saying the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had accepted its request.
The union has nominated a 12-member negotiating team comprising its leaders, who will represent doctors in talks with county governments scheduled to begin on October 29 and 30, 2026.
The centralized approach is expected to bring county governments under a coordinated negotiation framework as the union seeks uniform progress towards the new CBA.
Atellah said the union remained mindful of the challenges experienced during the 2017–2021 CBA cycle, which was marked by prolonged disputes and sacrifices by doctors in their push for better working conditions.
He said the experience had reinforced the need for unity, preparedness and vigilance as the union enters the new round of negotiations.
“Unlike the prolonged uncertainties of the past, we are stepping into these negotiation rooms organized, legally anchored, and unified across both national and county levels,” Atellah stated.
He urged doctors to remain united behind their negotiating teams as the union seeks improved terms of service and a dignified working environment for medical professionals.
“This is our moment to secure better terms of service, protect our welfare, and guarantee a dignified working environment that reflects the true value of medical professionals in Kenya,” he added.
The outcome of the negotiations will be closely watched by healthcare workers and the public, given the implications of doctors’ terms of service for staff welfare, labour relations and the delivery of healthcare services across the country.
