Next week, thousands of medical interns and Ministry of Health (MoH) employees will finally receive their overdue salaries. This positive development follows a successful negotiation between the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the ministry regarding the stalled payroll.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 28, 2026, KMPDU Secretary General and CEO Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah confirmed that the payroll will be processed the very next day, on Saturday. Salary transfers will begin immediately, with all payments expected to be visible in employees’ bank accounts by Wednesday at the latest.
This announcement brings much-needed relief to interns who have been anxiously awaiting their July salaries due to prior processing delays.
The reason for the salary delays stemmed from fewer than 300 interns failing to submit the necessary documentation to the Ministry of Health by the end of the July payroll cycle. This missing paperwork hindered the timely processing of salaries.
“At the close of the July payroll cycle, fewer than 300 interns had returned their required documentation to the Ministry of Health (MoH), which prevented payments from being processed on schedule. Following recent discussions with MoH, we have confirmed that salaries for all interns and MoH staff will be disbursed concurrently,” Atellah explained.
He further emphasized that the payroll will be executed on Saturday, with salary transfers starting immediately thereafter. “Payroll will be executed tomorrow, and salary transfers will begin streaming immediately, with all funds expected to reach your accounts by Wednesday next week at the latest. In summary, all intern and MoH staff salaries will be fully paid over the course of next week,” he affirmed.
The union expressed gratitude to interns for their patience during the ongoing discussions with the ministry.
One significant outcome of these negotiations is that interns will now receive their payments alongside Ministry of Health staff, rather than through separate disbursement processes. This coordinated approach aims to ensure that all affected employees receive their delayed salaries in the coming days.
This announcement arrives at a critical time, as the timely payment of medical interns has been a pressing concern. Unions have consistently highlighted that delayed salaries impose unnecessary financial strain on emerging healthcare professionals.
The latest delay marks yet another chapter in a long-standing dispute over intern remuneration in Kenya’s public health sector. In recent years, issues surrounding delayed salaries, unpaid arrears, and disagreements over the implementation of the doctors’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) have strained relations between the government and healthcare workers.
These ongoing challenges have previously led KMPDU to threaten industrial action, accusing the government of failing to uphold commitments made to interns and other health workers.
Historically, the government has allocated significant funds to address outstanding intern payments after experiencing similar delays. For instance, in November 2024, the Ministry of Health disbursed Ksh965.8 million to cover salaries and arrears for intern medical officers, dental officers, pharmacists, nurses, and clinical officers after months of payment delays.
Recently, KMPDU has achieved agreements with the Ministry of Health under Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, focusing on addressing salary arrears, enhancing intern placements, and fulfilling commitments outlined in the doctors’ CBA.
