KMPDU backs Duale directive, decries exploitation of foreign doctors in Kenya

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah said the union supports the directive as it is firmly grounded in existing law and addresses what he termed “modern-day slavery” within parts of Kenya’s private healthcare sector.

According to KMPDU, more than 300 foreign doctors have been licensed to practise in Kenya in recent years, with over 3,000 having worked in the country over the last three years

 While the union insists it is not opposed to foreigners working in Kenya, it says many are being recruited by private and mission hospitals under exploitative terms that violate Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and regulations set by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).

“Many of these doctors are paid wages far below what is stipulated in the CBA and gazetted rates, some as low as Sh40,000 to Sh50,000 per month,” Dr Atellah said.

 “That is exploitation, plain and simple. It harms the individual doctors and corrodes the very foundation of ethical medical practice.”

The union further alleged that some facilities openly flout immigration laws by employing foreign doctors without valid work permits, or by disregarding the requirements of Class D work permits.

 KMPDU also claims that employers often fail to demonstrate that the skills they are importing are unavailable locally, despite thousands of Kenyan doctors remaining unemployed or underemployed.

Deputy Secretary-General Dr Miskellah Maghanga drew parallels with the controversial importation of Cuban doctors in previous years, which he said was used to undermine local practitioners and force acceptance of poor working conditions.

“We were told experts were being brought in, yet we ended up teaching them more than they taught us,” Dr Maghanga said. “Bringing in foreign doctors to disadvantage our own children who have trained in medicine is an act of self-sabotage.”

KMPDU singled out several private facilities, alleging they prioritise profit over patient welfare by recruiting doctors from countries such as India, Egypt and Pakistan, subjecting them to “impossible expectations” while paying wages that do not reflect the responsibility of their work. 

The union warned that such practices ultimately harm patients, particularly poorer Kenyans.

“These physicians are not being hired to fill genuine skills gaps,” Dr Maghanga said. “No properly qualified doctor would willingly accept such pay. The result is compromised care, and the Kenyan patient pays the price.”

The union also linked recent healthcare scandals, including those involving kidney transplant services, to lax enforcement of immigration and remuneration laws.

In response, KMPDU announced it is launching a nationwide compliance campaign to ensure full enforcement of labour, immigration and professional regulations. 

The campaign will target both local and foreign doctors’ employment conditions, with the union demanding immediate alignment with all stipulated and gazetted pay rates.

“KMPDU is taking an unyielding stand against the exploitation of doctors,” Dr Atellah said. “We stand in solidarity with the CS’s directive and will not relent until all facilities comply with the law and uphold equal pay for equal work.”

The union has also called on immigration authorities and labour regulators to step up enforcement, warning that continued inaction will further tarnish Kenya’s medical system and erode public trust.