Doctors are set to have a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by the end of June, even as their union says the government owes them up to Sh700 million in unpaid salary adjustments from a deal signed eight years ago.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union's (KMPDU) Secretary General, Davji Atellah, told the Business Daily that the new 2025–2029 CBA will be finalised by June 30, 2026.
A CBA is the labour contract between a union representing employees and the employer. It sets the terms and conditions of employment, such as working hours, conditions, and wages. A CBA is effective for a specified duration stated in the agreement.
“The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has said that by the end of June this year, we should have a new CBA 2025-2029. So that's what we've been pushing for,” said Dr Atellah in a phone interview.
This comes as the SRC moves to resolve a nearly decade-old salary dispute.
“The only problem we have with them is that whatever they are implementing is less than what they owe us... So we'll write to them and ask them to implement it,” Dr Atellah said.
He said that the government has revised outstanding arrears downwards from Sh450 million to Sh330 million. However, KMPDU disputes this, maintaining that the true figure is close to Sh1 billion and that the gap between Sh600 million and Sh700 million remains unaccounted for.
“As of last month, the State Department for Public Service and National Treasury (DPSN) placed the total outstanding adjustment at Sh450 million. However, following the implementation of the SRC circular issued in February 2026, the latest SRC communication now reflects a revised balance of Sh330 million,” said Dr Atellah.
Meanwhile, the SRC has instructed all county governments to implement basic salary adjustments with immediate effect and to include all accrued arrears in the computation. They must also apply the special code provided by the DPSN to facilitate payment.
“We will be actively monitoring compliance across all counties to ensure full and immediate implementation. At the same time, we will independently verify the figures provided, maintaining our position that standard annual increments must not be conflated with CBA obligations.”
The union has made finalising the 2025–2029 CBA a non-negotiable priority for 2026, alongside employing 2,000 additional doctors and implementing full basic salary adjustments across counties. For now, the union says it will accept what is being implemented and continue to press for the rest.
“While this marks significant progress, the journey is not yet complete. Our focus now shifts to full implementation and the successful conclusion of negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA,” said Dr Atellah.
