KMPDU Gives 29 Counties Until November 1 to Act on Doctors’ Salary Deal or Face Strike Notice

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has warned 29 county governments to implement agreed salary adjustments for doctors or face a formal strike notice on November 1, 2026.

In a letter dated October 19, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah told Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Muthomi Njuki that an internal audit had revealed widespread non-compliance with the agreed pay changes.

According to the union, only 18 counties had implemented the salary adjustments by the end of September, leaving 29 others yet to comply.

The dispute centres on a circular issued by the Council of Governors on July 22, 2026, directing county governments to adjust doctors’ basic salaries in line with the agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rates.

The revised salaries were expected to take effect from the August 2026 payroll.

However, KMPDU says several counties have failed to implement the changes despite the agreed timeline.

Dr. Atellah maintained that the matter did not require further negotiations, urging the remaining county governments to honour the agreement and implement the salary adjustments immediately.

The union’s National Advisory Council (NAC), which met on October 16, resolved that KMPDU should issue an official strike notice on November 1 if all the outstanding adjustments had not been implemented.

“During the KMPDU National Advisory Council (NAC) meeting held on October 16, 2026, the Council resolved and directed the Union to issue an official strike notice on November 1, 2026, without any further reference or communication to your office if full compliance is not achieved,” Atellah stated in the letter.

The 29 counties named by the union are Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, Taita-Taveta, Tana River, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Nairobi, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Baringo, Samburu, Kisumu, Bomet, Laikipia, Narok, Kajiado, Embu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Meru, Kakamega and Vihiga.

KMPDU has called on the Council of Governors to ensure that all affected counties comply with the July circular before the deadline.

The warning puts pressure on county administrations to resolve the salary dispute before the union takes the next formal step towards industrial action.

As November 1 approaches, the outstanding issue is whether the 29 counties will implement the agreed salary adjustments in time to avert a formal strike notice from the doctors’ union.