By Martha Okoth | March 6, 2026
Doctors in Homa Bay County have officially called off their strike following successful negotiations with the County Government in the presence of Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
The talks culminated in the signing of a return-to-work agreement addressing several key concerns raised by the medical practitioners.
The agreement outlines a series of commitments by the county administration aimed at improving doctors’ working conditions and resolving longstanding issues related to promotions, salary arrears, and medical insurance.
Under the deal, 12 doctors will be promoted or re-designated, while six contract doctors will be converted to permanent and pensionable terms by March 31, 2026. The county has also committed to recruiting five additional doctors by the same date to help ease the workload across health facilities.
The agreement further addresses financial concerns raised during the strike. The County Government pledged to clear 50 percent of pending statutory deductions by March 15, 2026, with the remaining balance to be settled by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year.
Doctors who had been removed from the payroll during the strike will be fully reinstated, and salary arrears will be paid in phases across March, April, and May 2026.
In addition, the county has committed to providing comprehensive medical insurance coverage for doctors by April 30, 2026, a key demand that had been raised by health workers during the industrial action.
The agreement also includes a non-victimization clause, guaranteeing that no doctor will face disciplinary action, salary penalties, transfers, or denial of leave for participating in the strike.
Following the agreement, doctors are expected to resume duty from midnight, marking the end of the industrial action that had disrupted health services in the county.
Medical practitioners in the county expressed appreciation for the unity demonstrated by their colleagues during the strike and acknowledged the county government’s willingness to engage in constructive dialogue.
Health services in Homa Bay are now expected to gradually return to normal operations as doctors report back to their respective stations.
