KMPDU Backs CS Duale’s Crackdown on Foreign Doctors, Decries ‘Modern-Day Slavery’ in Private Hospitals

   The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has come out in strong support of a new government directive to restrict the licensing of foreign doctors, while simultaneously launching a scathing attack on private hospitals for what it calls the "modern-day slavery" of the medical workforce.

  In a press statement released on January 8, 2026, KMPDU Secretary-General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah declared that the era of treating doctors as "cheap, disposable labour" is over. The union’s stance follows a major policy shift by Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, who recently announced that the government would stop the routine renewal of licenses for foreign practitioners to prioritize the thousands of unemployed Kenyan doctors.

      Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, Secretary General of the KMPDU, leads a press conference regarding the systemic exploitation of medical practitioners and the flagrant abuse of immigration laws by private health facilities.

  A "Frontier for Profiteering"

 The union alleges that over the past four years, more than 3,000 foreign general practitioners have been licensed to practice in Kenya. While acknowledging the value of international cooperation, KMPDU claims many of these doctors are not being recruited to fill genuine skills gaps.

  Instead, the union argues, they are being targeted by private facilities as a "vulnerable workforce" to be exploited.

 "By paying wages far below those stipulated by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and negotiated CBAs, these facilities have institutionalised a system that can only be described as modern-day slavery," the statement reads.

 KMPDU further noted that this practice violates International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions (C100 and C97), which guarantee equal pay for work of equal value across borders.

   Risks to Patient Safety

  The union warned that the systemic exploitation of doctors—both local and foreign—has dire consequences for patient care. Dr. Atellah linked the "ethical decay" in the sector to recent high-profile organ transplant scandals, suggesting that when profit is prioritized over professional integrity, the entire healthcare system suffers.

  KMPDU also called out the "flagrant abuse" of immigration laws, noting that many private facilities bypass the requirements for Class D Work Permits, which require employers to prove that the skills being imported are unavailable locally.

Nationwide Enforcement Campaign

  Moving forward, KMPDU has announced a comprehensive, nationwide enforcement campaign to ensure 100% compliance with labor and professional standards in both public and private sectors. The union’s demands include:

•Immediate alignment with existing labor laws, CBAs, and SRC guidelines.

•Dignified and transparent contractual terms for all doctors (local and foreign).

•Legal action against facilities that fail to comply, including industrial action.

"The dignity of the Kenyan doctor is not for sale," the statement concluded, signaling a period of intensified scrutiny for healthcare providers across the country.