Eldoret: Doctors at MTRH Threaten Strike over Unmet Demands, Poor Working Conditions
- Doctors at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital have threatened fresh industrial action over unresolved grievances they say have persisted for months
- The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union is demanding action on four major issues
- A key meeting was convened to strategise, with the union urging members to rally behind the call for justice, dignity, and fair treatment
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TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Eldoret: A storm is brewing again at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital as doctors renew their push for justice.
Source: UGC
The medics issued a fresh 14-day strike notice on Wednesday, July 23, reigniting tensions just months after a similar walkout.
They accused their employer of ignoring key agreements that were meant to improve their welfare and restore confidence among healthcare workers.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), through its secretary-general Davji Bhimji Atellah, said the situation at MTRH had steadily worsened, with mounting complaints from members about delayed reforms and deteriorating conditions.
“Offering services you cannot access when in need, especially for your loved ones, is a paradox. Doctors here have no medical insurance, and yet we are expected to deliver life-saving care under the most difficult conditions,” Atellah remarked.
Why did MTRH doctors issue strike notice?
Atellah added that the union had been inundated with messages from members expressing deep frustration and emotional exhaustion.
He noted that the communications, coming through calls, emails, and WhatsApp messages, reflect a workforce that feels ignored and increasingly demoralised by the lack of action on their concerns.
According to KMPDU, many doctors have not received their salary arrears despite repeated commitments, and a significant number still work under contract terms, denied access to benefits and long-term job security.
To chart the way forward, the union called for a physical meeting of all MTRH-based doctors on Wednesday, at St Luke’s Hospital in Eldoret.
Was MTRH February RTWF implemented?
The forum included HR consultants and addressed delayed implementation of the Return-to-Work Formula (RTWF), Collective Bargaining Agreement arrears, and stalled transitions to permanent terms.
Among the union’s top demands are full implementation of the RTWF, provision of comprehensive medical cover, immediate payment of all salary arrears, and conversion of contract doctors to permanent and pensionable terms. Atellah urged members to stand united.
“Justice, fairness and dignity demand our collective action in the boardrooms, on the streets, and in the media,” he said. “We must speak in one voice and demand what is due to us.”
Source: UGC
What triggered the last strike at MTRH?
In February, TUKO.co.ke reported that doctors at MTRH went on strike after a 14-day notice issued on January 22 expired without any resolution.
The grievances included delayed salary arrears tied to an approved pay structure, lack of registration of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and failure to absorb contract doctors into permanent positions.
Doctors also raised concerns over missing third-party remittances to banks, SACCOs, and insurers, which disrupted their financial obligations. The strike paralysed services at the Eldoret-based facility for seven days.
Although initial dialogue collapsed, the strike ended on February 11 after successful negotiations between KMPDU and the hospital’s management.
Five months later, doctors say those promises remain largely unmet, raising fears of another full-scale industrial action.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
