A meeting held on Monday between the Ministry of Health, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) bore no substantial fruit, leaving Kenyans seeking healthcare in limbo.
The meeting, which brought together stakeholders such as the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), KMPDU, and United Kingdom Community Servers (UKCS), was expected to address the plight of 8,571 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff and a five-year-old healthcare crisis.
Instead, it underscored the government's perceived helplessness and lack of urgency in addressing the nation’s pressing healthcare challenges.
According to officials from UHC, the parties involved in the meeting failed to reach an agreement, forcing the workers to continue with the strike.
"The failed Meeting between the Ministry of Health, CS Deborah Barasa, KNUN, KUCO, KMPDU, UKCS, and DP Kindiki is an indicator of a failed system. It shows the helplessness and lack of seriousness toward solving our 5-year-old UHC issues," the UHC workers revealed in a tweet.
Following the failed meeting, KMPDU Secretary General Devji Atella announced a nationwide strike on Tuesday, calling on all UHC workers to return to the streets and continue protesting, abandoning health services until the government fulfilled its promises.
"This time we are on the streets because we agreed that there was a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that needs to be used in payment of wages for everyone, including doctors, but the government has decided to backtrack, and so tomorrow we will hit the streets," Atella announced.
The UHC staff strike began in February 2025 and has been ongoing for several weeks.
Workers have escalated their protests, including marching to Parliament, to demand permanent and pensionable employment, salary harmonisation, and other benefits.
The strike has significantly disrupted healthcare services across the country.
On his part, Deputy President Kindiki has assured staff that the government remains committed to delivering quality and affordable healthcare to all Kenyans. He added that the government would continue engaging with all relevant medical stakeholders to ensure this mandate is fulfilled.
Meanwhile, hospital services continue to struggle, placing further strain on healthcare delivery nationwide. As efforts to resolve the crisis persist, the government has requested 21 days to address the workers' demands.
