Davji Atella, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary general, on August 19, 2025.
Health unions have called for accountability and urgent reforms to safeguard the health of Kenyans.
Among the issues raised by the health bodies are delays in absorption of the 8,000 Universal Healthcare (UHC) contract staff into permanent and
pensionable terms despite parliament’s allocation of Sh6.2 billion towards it.
There is also a resolution from the
Ministry of Health, Council of Governors and unions agreement which has stalled
since July 1, 2025. The unions decried the bureaucratic hurdles that have marred payroll transfers to counties.
The unions included the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya National Union of Nurses and midwives (KNUN), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU), Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD), Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT) and Kenya Health Professionals Society (KHPS).
They lamented what they called a disregard of their rights by the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors.
The unions have also complained about salary delays, which
they said impact morale.
They said that the low morale compromises service delivery and
heightens vulnerability to corruption and strikes. They further argued that
overburdened health workers cannot effectively care for the patients while
grappling with unpaid bills and uncertainty.
They urged the National Treasury and relevant ministries
to prioritise timely salary disbursements, implement collective bargaining
agreements and address the root causes of like debt to restore dignity to
public servants.
However, they welcomed the quality of healthcare and patient
safety bill, which seeks to establish an independent authority for regulating
facilities, enforcing standards and protecting patient rights through
mechanisms like a unified tribunal and penalties for negligence.
The union leaders spoke in Nairobi.