Kenya’s doctors have finally received their full salary arrears after a bruising seven-year standoff with the government, closing one of the country’s longest-running labour disputes.
The payout covers basic salaries owed between 2017 and 2024, a period marked by strikes, walkouts and tense negotiations.
In a letter dated September 9, 2025, Principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni confirmed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) that the arrears had been processed and released. The first tranche was paid in December 2024.
“The second and final payment has been processed, approved, and released,” Ms. Muthoni wrote. “Instructions have been forwarded to the respective banks for onward crediting into the doctors’ accounts.”
By Wednesday, union leaders confirmed members had started receiving their money.
“Today marks a historic victory for doctors and the labour movement in Kenya,” said KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah. “After seven years of relentless pursuit, the second and final batch of the arrears has been released.”
The settlement stems from the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which promised doctors higher pay and better working conditions but was only partially honoured for years. The deadlock deepened until late 2024, when the union struck a Return-to-Work deal with the State.
Dr Atellah credited President William Ruto with personally unlocking the stalemate. “In May 2024, the President gave his commitment to resolve not only the arrears in less than two years but also other pending CBA issues,” he said.
He also praised Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and PS Muthoni for what he called “forthright leadership” in steering talks to completion.
But union leaders are not resting. KMPDU now wants the government to settle arrears for 2024–2025, align payslips with revised salary scales, and hire 2,000 new doctors to ease chronic staffing shortages.
Dr Atellah challenged county governors to “hold their end of the bargain,” calling for promotions for deserving doctors and a reliable medical insurance scheme. “This will ensure industrial harmony, which is a prerequisite for universal health coverage,” he added.
The settlement may bring relief to thousands of health workers who have long complained of broken promises. But it also highlights the fragile state of Kenya’s public health system, where disputes over pay and conditions often spill into strikes — leaving patients caught in the middle.
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