Betrayal! Doctors say after SRC approves MPs' pay hike

KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah/ DAVJI ATELLAH/X

Doctors union KMPDU has described as betrayal the move by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to give in to MPs' pressure and increase their salaries beginning this April.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union Secretary General Davji Atellah said on Saturday this comes on the backdrop of budget cuts for the Health ministry, a critical sector, putting the lives of Kenyans at stake.

"This is a betrayal of every Kenyan who depends on public healthcare,” Atellah said on X.

“The government has made its priorities clear—billions more for MPs while slashing the health budget, the most reduced sector in the 2025-26 Budget Policy Statement."

In February, the Ministry of Health revealed a Sh68 billion funding gap in its development budget for the 2025-26 financial year reflected in the Budget Policy Statement.

The slash could severely affect the procurement of essential medical supplies, including HIV treatment, vaccines, and blood transfusion services.

The State Department for Medical Services also disclosed that Sh30 billion was required to fully implement a publicly funded primary healthcare system, with another Sh15 billion needed for strategic medical supplies, including HIV, family planning, and vaccine commodities.

Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai informed the National Assembly’s Health Committee that the Treasury had also failed to allocate Sh3 billion to sustain blood transfusion services due to declining donor support.

“The development unfunded priorities amount to Sh68 billion. These include Sh30 billion for a fully publicly financed primary healthcare system,” Kimtai explained during the scrutiny of the Budget Policy Statement (BPS).

Kimtai said the repeated budget cuts have undermined key health programmes, making it difficult to meet set targets.

Atellah highlighted the dire state of hospitals, which are running out of essential supplies, while doctors and nurses face excessive workloads and are underpaid.

"Hospitals are running out of essential supplies, doctors and nurses are overworked...and Kenyans are suffering...Yet, instead of fixing this crisis, our leaders choose to enrich themselves."

He also pointed out that Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are being ignored 

The secretary general questioned how healthcare providers are expected to offer quality care when faced with delayed salaries, understaffed facilities, unhonoured CBAs and poor working conditions.

"Agreements meant to guarantee fair pay, better working conditions, and dignity for healthcare workers are tossed aside, while politicians ensure their benefits are untouched. Healthcare is not a privilege—it is a fundamental right!" he stressed.

"We demand full funding for our healthcare system and respect for the CBAs that protect our workforce," the union boss added.

Effective Tuesday, April 1, 2025, MPs are set to receive a Sh366,011 pay rise.

This will be reflected in their pay slips as a fixed monthly mileage allowance, in addition to travel reimbursement claims based on the distance from the capital to their rural areas.