KMPDU sets December deadline to finalise new 2025–2029 CBA

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has set a firm deadline of December 2025 to conclude negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering doctors' employment terms and working conditions for the 2025–2029 cycle.

The announcement follows a joint meeting of the union’s National Advisory Council and National Executive Council, held on October 16. In a formal statement issued by KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah on Monday, October 26, the union emphasized a strategic shift in its approach to labor relations.

"The CBA is transitioning from agitation to structured negotiations with the National and county governments, with talks expected to begin this week,” Atellah announced.

The upcoming negotiations are designed to secure a comprehensive agreement addressing doctors' welfare, terms of service, and working conditions across all 47 county governments and national health facilities.

The union revealed that both the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have agreed to its request for centralised talks. These parallel negotiations are scheduled to begin rolling out starting October 29 and November 10.

According to KMPDU, this structured format aims to establish a coordinated, uniform approach to securing improved terms of service for medical practitioners employed by both levels of government.

“The parallel negotiations would help establish a coordinated approach to securing improved terms of service for doctors employed by both levels of government,” the union stated.

At the national level, the Ministry of Health has already forwarded a formal counter-proposal in response to the union’s initial demands, providing a solid framework to accelerate the dialogue.

Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, committed an inter-ministerial CBA negotiation committee to meet with KMPDU delegates in Mombasa.

The union’s aggressive push for a timely resolution is heavily influenced by the lessons learned from the turbulent 2017–2021 CBA cycle.

KMPDU has frequently described that period as a grueling and difficult chapter characterized by prolonged industrial disputes, severe disruptions to public healthcare delivery, and immense sacrifices made by medical professionals in the struggle for better working environments.

By establishing structured timelines and securing buy-in from both county and national leadership early on, the union hopes to bypass the protracted deadlocks that have historically plagued the sector.

The push for new labor terms arrives against a backdrop of shifting public finance measures. In September, the SRC suspended the implementation of newly reviewed remuneration and benefits for several categories of county officials, citing growing concerns over the sustainability of county wage bills.

The suspension immediately targeted state officers in county executives, members of county Public Service Boards, County Secretaries, and County Attorneys. SRC Chairperson Sammy Chepkwony noted that the decisions followed wide consultations with the Council of Governors and rigorous reviews of submissions from county governments.

Despite these fiscal tightening measures at the county level, KMPDU remains optimistic that the renewed, structured dialogue with the inter-ministerial committee and county leadership will yield a sustainable and mutually beneficial CBA by the end of December.