Nairobi, June 28, 2025– The Ministry of Health is set to deploy 6,484 interns across the country from July 1 under the 2025/2026 cohort.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale announced the development in a press release on June 27, stating that posting letters for medical officers, pharmacists, dentists, and nurses were ready for collection at Afya House.
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However, the move has not resolved the ongoing dispute over internship stipends, with the 2024/2025 cohort of about 5,800 interns still receiving a monthly Sh 47,000 allowance a figure that had triggered months of protest.
The allowance was set following a 2023 agreement between the government and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), but falls far short of the Sh 206,000 starting salary stipulated in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
In December 2024, mediation led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki attempted to end a wave of strikes that had disrupted health services. The government proposed a revised internship stipend of Sh 70,000, but the plan was halted by legal challenges.
According to the reports, last payment was made in March 2025, a situation that has seen many interns look up to family or loans amid escalating living costs.
KMPDU Secretary-General Dr. Davji Atellah addressed the issue sighting overwork and under payment at the same time
“We have interns who haven’t been paid since March. They are overworked and underpaid,” He said.
He also added that underpayment does show fairness for the work they do, he vowed to take action if not much is done to address the issue.
“The Sh 47,000 does not reflect their sacrifice. If the Sh 206,000 CBA figure is not restored, we will take further action,” he warned.
The matter is currently before the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Eldoret, which had granted 90 days for renegotiations. A ruling expected soon could potentially adjust stipends for the current cohort retroactively.
Interns placed in counties such as Turkana, Lamu, and Nairobi say they face heavy workloads and operate with limited equipment.
Some interns have turned to loans or support from family to survive, especially as the last reported stipend disbursement came in March.
X posts by affected interns have highlighted their frustrations, with many claiming they are risking their lives in understaffed, under-equipped facilities without adequate pay.
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The Ministry of Health has cited budgetary constraints and a freeze in funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as the cause of the delayed stipend review.
Stakeholders including the Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority have called for proper transition and better support for both cohorts.
As of today, the interns began collecting posting letters.
