The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union and the Ministry of Public Service have reported progress in resolving delayed salary adjustments for doctors, with outstanding arrears revised down from KSh 450 million to KSh 330 million.
The reduction follows a February 2026 government circular that updated earlier payment estimates after a fresh verification process.
However, the union has raised concerns over how the figures were interpreted, particularly claims that a section of doctors had been overpaid.
KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah dismissed the position, stating that most doctors are still owed payments.
“The data presented indicates that approximately 5 per cent of members were overpaid, while 95 per cent are owed adjustments. This position, advanced by the DPSN, erroneously categorises annual increments as part of CBA implementation. We firmly reject this interpretation, as it directly contravenes the ELRC 2020 judgment,” said Atellah.
The figures were reviewed during a two-day meeting held between March 17 and March 18, bringing together key government agencies including the Department of Public Service, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Council of Governors, and the National Treasury.
At the centre of the dispute is the classification of payments, with KMPDU insisting that what government agencies term as overpayments are standard annual salary increments and should not be treated as part of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) obligations.
The delays relate to salary reviews under the 2017–2024 CBA and the third and fourth remuneration review cycles.
Although the review process had been completed earlier, implementation slowed after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission took additional time to issue advisory guidelines to counties.
A directive issued on March 10 has since instructed county governments to immediately implement the revised basic salaries and include all accrued arrears in their computations.
Authorities have also rolled out a special payment code through the Department of Public Service to streamline disbursement and reduce administrative delays.
Funding constraints had previously stalled payments, with counties citing limited allocations.
However, an additional KSh 2 billion set aside for personnel emoluments has enabled the rollout of the third remuneration review cycle covering the 2021–2025 period.
KMPDU says it will monitor compliance across counties to ensure full implementation and accurate payment of dues.
“We will be actively monitoring compliance across all counties to ensure full and immediate implementation. At the same time, we will independently verify the figures provided,” the union said.
Even as progress is reported, the union maintains that doctors are entitled to both the revised salaries and interest on delayed payments, as talks for the 2025–2029 agreement continue.
