NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – Medical interns and Ministry of Health staff affected by salary delays are expected to receive their outstanding payments by Wednesday, September 2, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has announced.
KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah said the Ministry of Health had confirmed that payments for all affected interns and ministry employees would be processed concurrently following consultations between the union and the government.
In a communication to members dated August 28, Atellah said payroll processing was scheduled to begin on Saturday, with salary payments expected to start reaching workers’ accounts once the process was completed.
“All funds are expected to reach your accounts by Wednesday next week at the latest,” Atellah said.
He attributed part of the delay affecting medical interns to the late submission of documents required by the Ministry of Health to facilitate their inclusion in the payroll.
According to Atellah, fewer than 300 interns had submitted the required documentation by the close of the July payroll cycle, meaning their payments could not be processed within the expected period.
“Following our recent engagements with MoH, it has been confirmed that salaries for all interns and MoH staff will be disbursed concurrently,” he said.
The latest commitment is expected to provide relief to interns and ministry employees who have been waiting for their salaries amid uncertainty over when the delayed payments would be released.
The payment of medical interns has remained a recurring issue in the health sector, with unions and the government frequently engaging over internship placement, deployment and remuneration.
KMPDU has consistently called for timely placement and payment of interns, arguing that delays in remuneration place financial pressure on newly qualified doctors as they begin their professional careers.
The union said its latest engagements with the Ministry of Health were aimed at resolving the immediate payroll challenges and ensuring that outstanding payments are processed.
Atellah thanked affected interns and Ministry of Health staff for their patience as the union continued discussions with the government.
The payments, once processed, are expected to clear the outstanding salary obligations for workers covered by the payroll.
