Patients seeking services in public hospitals across Mombasa can breathe a sigh of relief after doctors suspended a strike that was scheduled to begin at midnight.
The strike, called by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), was halted following a last-minute agreement with the County Government of Mombasa addressing promotions, contract terms and welfare concerns.
KMPDU Secretary General Dr. David Atellah said the decision to suspend the industrial action was reached after both parties agreed on the issues raised in the strike notice.
“Based on the engagement that we’ve had on the issues that were resulting in the strike, the strike stands suspended,” Atellah said.
At the heart of the dispute was delayed promotion of doctors. The union had demanded promotion for all eligible doctors who had stagnated in their job groups.
According to Atellah, 105 doctors will be promoted effective April 1, 2026, across various job groups. A further 20 doctors will receive their promotion letters by July 1, 2026, effectively clearing the backlog presented by the union.
The county also committed to reviewing doctors serving on contract, with a view to confirming or converting them to permanent and pensionable terms by June 1, 2026.
The union had also protested the interdiction of the Chief Executive Officer of Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. However, Atellah said the matter was not substantively discussed during the meeting as the interdiction had already been lifted and the case was in court.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir said most of the concerns stemmed from a 2021 agreement that had not been fully implemented but noted that several items had already been addressed before the strike notice was issued.
“We have agreed in principle on everything. Some have already been given their letters and others are being processed,” Nassir said.
On the question of contract employment, the governor said the county’s policy has been to assess employees over a three-year contract period before granting permanent and pensionable terms. However, he agreed to review doctors currently on contract and said any changes would apply uniformly across all cadres in the county workforce.
Atellah further revealed that the union and the governor agreed in principle that politicians should not interfere with clinical decisions in hospitals.
He said the governor committed to protecting doctors from political interference and insecurity that could disrupt service delivery.
The suspension of the strike ensures continuity of services in public health facilities, averting potential disruption for patients who rely on county hospitals for critical care.
