Doctors in Wajir County are set for promotions, permanent job confirmations, and renewed training opportunities after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) struck a deal with Governor Ahmed Abdullahi’s administration. The meeting has been hailed as a breakthrough for healthcare delivery in the region.

The agreement, reached on Friday during a high-level engagement between KMPDU and Wajir County officials, outlines several measures aimed at improving the welfare of doctors while enhancing healthcare service delivery.

Among the key outcomes, contracted doctors will be confirmed to permanent and pensionable terms in the next financial year, doctors will be promoted to higher job groups, and the ban on releasing medics for postgraduate studies has been lifted.

Additional provisions include the reopening of doctors’ on-call rooms, reinstatement of salaries that had previously been stopped, and the resumption of union dues deductions for all doctors who have signed the necessary forms.

The county also pledged its support for ongoing negotiations on the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), signalling a progressive approach to labour relations in the health sector.

Speaking after the meeting, KMPDU Secretary General, Dr Davji Atellah, described the developments in Wajir as transformative for healthcare access. He highlighted that the county’s medical workforce has grown significantly over the past 15 years.

“If there is a place where we must see real change, it is Wajir County, and we can now confirm that things are indeed changing,” Dr Atellah said.

Dr Atellah also highlighted the collaborative nature of the talks, noting that the discussions lasted over five hours with the county leadership and three hours with doctors.

“If this is the progress we see in counties, then the issues of doctor strikes we have faced in the past will be a thing of the past. We have confirmed to the chair of the Council of Governors that these engagements, these dialogues, then open the way to make amendments to any issues that may be upcoming,” he said.

Governor Ahmed welcomed the partnership, noting that it strengthens both the welfare of doctors and the quality of services available to residents.