Doctors in 17 counties could withdraw their services from November 25 after KMPDU issued a 21-day strike notice over delayed implementation of agreed salary adjustments.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union said the affected county governments had failed to adjust doctors’ basic salaries despite commitments made with the Council of Governors and a court-backed return-to-work agreement.
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Doctors given November 25 strike date
KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah announced the notice on Wednesday, November 4, saying doctors in the affected counties would down their tools unless the salary adjustments are implemented within the 21-day period.
The union said its latest compliance audit found that 17 counties had still not implemented the agreed changes.
Counties named in the notice include Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Machakos, Makueni, Laikipia, Narok, Kajiado, Isiolo, Meru and Vihiga.
Salary dispute dates back to 2024 strike
The dispute centers on basic salary adjustments agreed after the nationwide doctors’ strike in 2024.
The return-to-work formula reached at the time was adopted as a court order on May 8, 2024, and included commitments relating to doctors’ pay and employment conditions.
KMPDU says county governments later reaffirmed the salary commitment during a meeting with the Council of Governors on July 22, 2026.
Atellah said counties were expected to have completed implementation by the end of October.
KMPDU says counties received funding
The union maintains that funding for the salary adjustments had already been provided through the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.
According to KMPDU, the Council of Governors had also confirmed that all 47 counties had received allocations meant to support the revised pay structure.
The union therefore argues that the remaining counties have no financial justification for delaying implementation.
Earlier in October, KMPDU had warned 27 counties over the same issue after an audit found that only 20 counties had implemented the agreed salary changes by the end of September.
The reduction from 27 counties to 17 suggests that several administrations have since complied.
Kiambu among counties facing fresh disruption
Kiambu is among the counties now facing another possible interruption to public hospital services.
The county has experienced prolonged doctors’ strikes in the past over delayed salaries, promotions and other employment disputes, with previous industrial action forcing some patients to seek treatment in neighbouring counties.
A fresh strike would again affect patients who depend on county hospitals for outpatient care, specialist treatment, emergency services and other medical services.
Doctors continue wider CBA talks
The strike notice comes as KMPDU is also pursuing negotiations over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement covering the 2025–2029 period.
The union has set December 2026 as its target for completing negotiations with the national government and county administrations.
Those talks cover broader issues affecting doctors, including remuneration, working conditions and employment benefits.
For the 17 counties now under notice, however, the immediate deadline is November 25.
KMPDU says the strike can still be avoided if the outstanding salary adjustments are implemented before the notice expires.
