The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has intensified calls for a thorough and urgent investigation into the licensing and employment of foreign medical practitioners in Kenya. This follows escalating concerns over unethical practices in the health sector, particularly allegations linking the unchecked recruitment of foreign doctors to human organ trafficking activities. The union, through its Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah, has pressed both the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and the Ministry of Health to take swift action in addressing what it describes as a crisis threatening the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system.
Dr Atellah emphasized that the recruitment process for foreign medics has frequently bypassed established ethical and professional standards, allowing exploitative contracts to become rampant. According to him, more than 1,600 foreign medical practitioners, predominantly from Asian countries, are currently working in Kenya, mainly in private health facilities. Many of these doctors, he stated, are subjected to harsh labour conditions that not only compromise their own wellbeing but also jeopardize the safety of patients. Dr Atellah stressed that this systemic exploitation often leaves these practitioners vulnerable and susceptible to being coerced into unethical practices, including those related to organ trafficking.
The KMPDU further expressed dismay that while private healthcare institutions benefit from inexpensive foreign labour, thousands of Kenyan-trained doctors remain unemployed. Dr Atellah lamented that over 4,000 qualified Kenyan doctors, trained at great public expense, are currently jobless, with some forced into menial jobs to survive. He condemned the current trend where highly trained Kenyan professionals are overlooked in favour of hiring cheaper foreign workers, calling it both a national shame and a betrayal of public trust.
The union also pointed to the dangerous intersection between unethical recruitment and the rising cases of organ trafficking, arguing that non-transparent practices around the licensing of foreign doctors have fueled illicit activities within the medical sector. Dr Atellah reiterated previous warnings by the KMPDU regarding the existence of organ trafficking syndicates operating within Kenya, adding that the lax oversight in foreign recruitment was contributing to the worsening situation.
In light of these grave concerns, KMPDU welcomed the Ministry of Health’s recent move to freeze the licensing of foreign doctors. However, the union insists that more robust measures are necessary. Dr Atellah called for an immediate and comprehensive audit of all private healthcare institutions’ recruitment and contracting practices, with a demand that the findings be made public. This, he said, would help in verifying the qualifications of foreign doctors and ensuring adherence to ethical recruitment standards.
The KMPDU is also advocating for the Ministry of Health to clearly identify regions where there is a genuine shortage of healthcare workers before allowing the employment of foreign practitioners. Moreover, they are urging the Ministry of Labour to examine all existing contracts involving foreign doctors to guarantee they align with Kenyan labour laws and international human rights standards. Dr Atellah concluded by urging the government to prioritize the employment of Kenyan doctors through a transparent, merit-based system and to develop a firm policy governing the future recruitment of foreign healthcare professionals, ensuring the nation’s medical sector serves the interests of its people first.
