Opinion - Nyong’o’s KMPDU Talks Set Path for Kisumu Health Sector Success

Kenya, 14 January 2026 - The move by Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o to sit down with the top leadership of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) is a pivotal moment for the county’s health sector, now thrust into national focus following the elevation of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to Level 6 status.

Meeting KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah and Nyanza Branch Chairman Dr Onyango Ndonga at his Town Hall office, Prof Nyong’o framed the talks as more than a routine courtesy call, but a strategic dialogue on how to stabilise and future-proof Kisumu’s healthcare workforce.

“Our talks focused on human resource considerations affecting medical practitioners, whose role remains critical in attaining positive healthcare delivery outcomes,” Prof Nyong’o said, underscoring the centrality of doctors, pharmacists and dentists in a devolved system increasingly strained by rising patient loads and limited budgets.

The timing of the meeting was politically and administratively significant.

With JOOTRH now a national referral facility, Kisumu is no longer just managing a county hospital but hosting a regional medical hub that serves Western Kenya, Nyanza and parts of neighbouring countries.

That upgrade brings prestige, but also pressure — from staffing levels and specialist retention to remuneration and career progression.

Nyong’o sought to reassure KMPDU that his administration is keen to avoid the labour unrest that has rocked other counties and even the national health system in recent years.

“Constant consultations are essential in handling workforce matters,” he said, signalling a governance approach built on dialogue rather than confrontation.

On the future of JOOTRH within Kisumu’s wider health ecosystem, the governor struck a careful balance between national ambition and local equity.

He said the county was “deliberate in consolidating service delivery across County and Sub-County facilities to ensure continuity, quality, and equity of care,” an acknowledgment that a super-hospital in Kisumu City should not hollow out services in rural facilities.

KMPDU’s leadership, often at the forefront of hard-line negotiations with governments over pay and working conditions, adopted a notably conciliatory tone.

They welcomed the hospital’s elevation to Level Six and credited the county for its fiscal discipline, noting Kisumu’s “consistency in meeting monthly remuneration obligations,” a rarity in a sector where delayed salaries have triggered strikes across the country.