Nairobi: The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has accused some hospitals of employing foreign doctors without valid work permits. KMPDU Secretary-General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah on Thursday stated in a press conference that they were backing the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on conditions of licensing and hiring of foreign doctors.
According to Kenya News Agency, Duale had issued a statement emphasizing that Kenya will prioritize the licensing and deployment of qualified Kenyan health practitioners before considering the routine licensing of any foreign doctors and other health professionals. He criticized the medical profession in Kenya for being treated as a frontier for profiteering at the expense of human dignity, professional ethics, and lawful labor standards.
Dr. Atellah further accused some medical facilities of failing to meet Class D work permit requirements, stating that many private facilities have deliberately bypassed these safeguards. This has occurred despite the existence of thousands of qualified Kenyan doctors who remain unemployed or grossly underutilized.
He noted that these doctors are often paid wages below those stipulated by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). Dr. Atellah emphasized that the union would no longer tolerate the systematic undercutting of professional fees and labor standards in the pursuit of profit.
The union highlighted that more than 3,000 foreign general practitioners have been licensed to practice in Kenya. However, it argued that most of these practitioners are not recruited to address genuine skills gaps but are instead targeted by certain private hospitals as a vulnerable workforce to be exploited.
Dr. Atellah announced a comprehensive nationwide enforcement campaign to ensure all public and private health facilities fully comply with labor and professional standards, in line with the directive by the CS on licensing and employment of foreign health practitioners. Facilities failing to comply will face industrial and legal action.
CS Duale reiterated that Kenya's position is clear, lawful, and globally aligned. He stressed that qualified Kenyans must come first but clarified that regional commitments will be respected. Exceptional foreign engagement will be permitted only where it adds clear value to the health system and meets the highest ethical and professional standards.