The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has condemned the arrest and alleged harassment of medical interns in Uganda who were protesting over delayed deployment, unpaid stipends and poor working conditions.
The union said the interns were exercising their rights by peacefully demanding fair treatment and better working conditions.
KMPDU said medical interns play an essential role in healthcare delivery across East Africa and should not be punished for raising legitimate labour concerns.
“Peacefully demanding fair treatment, timely deployment and dignified working conditions is a legitimate labour concern, not a crime,” the union said in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the
Daily Monitor
, eight interns were arrested on 12 August after taking part in a demonstration along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala, where they were demanding payment of their salaries.
The interns were later charged with allegedly causing danger and inconvenience to traffic during the demonstration and remanded to Luzira Prison after a court adjourned their bail application to August 17,2026.
The Kenyan doctors' union called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all interns and healthcare workers detained for participating in peaceful demonstrations.
It also urged Ugandan security agencies to end what it described as “intimidation, violence and arbitrary arrests” against healthcare workers exercising their fundamental rights.
KMPDU called for meaningful dialogue between the Ugandan government, the Ministry of Health and medical interns to resolve what it described as the longstanding internship crisis.
The union said the challenges facing medical interns were not unique to Uganda, pointing to delayed deployment, unpaid stipends, difficult working conditions and heavy clinical workloads across the region.
It called for regional solidarity to push for decent working conditions for healthcare workers across East Africa.
“KMPDU stands firmly in solidarity with the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) and the entire Ugandan medical fraternity,” the union said.
The union warned that healthcare workers should not be forced to choose between serving patients and defending their basic rights.
“There can be no sustainable healthcare system where medical professionals are silenced through fear, force and detention,” it said.
The arrests have drawn attention to longstanding concerns over the treatment and welfare of medical interns, who form an important part of healthcare systems while undergoing practical training.
KMPDU said resolving the dispute through dialogue would help protect both the rights of healthcare workers and the delivery of essential medical services.