Government and KMPDU Announce Measures on Health Worker Employment and Strikes - January 2026

The Ministry of Health in Kenya has announced new directives, effective January 7, prioritizing Kenyan-trained health professionals for licensing and employment over foreign doctors. This policy aims to ensure that Kenyans educated with public funds serve their country first. Separately, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has announced a nationwide crackdown on private hospitals underpaying doctors, a practice it described as "modern-day slavery." Meanwhile, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued new directives to striking clinical officers, demanding a fully inclusive Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) before he signs it to end their 16-day strike.