Raila Holds Meeting with KMPDU After 56-day Strike Called Off

Azimio leader Raila Odinga on Saturday met with representatives of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

In a statement posted on X, Raila described the meeting as a courtesy call from the KMPDU officials.

He affirmed his solidarity with the union, recognizing the return-to-work agreement as a gesture of goodwill between the government and KMPDU.

“I stand in solidarity with the union, and encourage the government to meet them halfway and resolve the outstanding issues,” he said.

This comes moments after the union representatives held a meeting with President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.

The head of state said his government will consistently address the persistent human resource challenges that slow down the realisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Ruto insisted that the government will continually engage stakeholders in the health sector, including health workers’ unions, to promote industrial harmony and long-lasting solutions to the challenges.

On its part, the union committed to champion and support the universal healthcare agenda and the rolling out of social health insurance to all Kenyans.

The doctors staged a 56 day strike to demand among others honoring a Collective Bargaining Agreement that had been signed in 2017.