Medical Officer Intern at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Dr Odada Arnold Magak, says the challenges facing medical interns in Kenya go beyond salaries, with labour rights, workplace safety and dignity remaining central to their concerns.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Monday, Dr Magak said the plight of medical interns extends beyond remuneration to broader concerns over labour rights, workplace safety and dignity.
He said interns are entitled to work in a safe environment, exercise their rights to picket and take industrial action, and receive fair labour practices.
However, he argued that it is difficult for interns to provide quality healthcare when their own welfare is compromised, including situations where they may be working without having met basic needs such as food. Kenya’s Employment Act provides for basic minimum conditions of employment and applies to government employees.
His comments come as Kenya continues to rely heavily on interns to supplement its health workforce.
The Ministry of Health deployed 6,784 healthcare interns for the 2026/27 internship programme, including 875 medical officer interns, 69 dental officer interns, 616 pharmacist interns, 2,424 Bachelor of Science nursing interns and 2,801 clinical officer interns. The government allocated Sh9.316 billion for the programme.
The figures underline the scale of internship programmes in Kenya's public health system, where young professionals are deployed to facilities across the country for practical training.
But Dr Magak argues that the presence of interns in the health system should not obscure their rights as workers.
He said labour laws require employers to provide conditions that allow workers to perform their duties safely and with dignity.
“Essentially, we are asking for dignity,” he said.
The issue of remuneration has nevertheless remained a recurring source of tension between interns, the Ministry of Health and their union, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
In August 2026, KMPDU said medical interns and Ministry of Health employees affected by salary delays would receive their pending payments by September 2. The union attributed part of the delay to the processing of payroll documentation, saying fewer than 300 interns had returned the required documents by the close of the July payroll cycle.
For Dr Magak, however, delayed payment illustrates a wider problem in the relationship between young doctors and their employer.
“You have worked for month one, month two, no pay. Then you go to the ministry. Once you reach the ministry, the ministry tells you, you know, things will work differently.
“So at this time is where you learn about what is it called, the payroll system, how a payroll system actually works. It can't be just made on a public announcement that you know will be paid on end of July. You have to be in the payroll.”
The 2026/27 cohort was officially scheduled to begin its 12-month internship from July 1, 2026. The Ministry has described the programme as a critical component of building Kenya's health workforce.
KMPDU has also acknowledged progress in the internship system, saying deployment has become more predictable in recent years. The union said interns deployed in 2026 were expected to receive remuneration within the first month, marking an improvement from earlier periods when some waited several months for their first salary.
Despite the progress, Dr Magak says interns remain in a vulnerable position because of their professional status.
“This intern is usually found at a place whereby the voice of speaking up or the voice of reason is not amplified as much as the other doctors.”
The doctor maintained that interns can therefore struggle to make their grievances heard, particularly because they are still completing the mandatory period of supervised clinical training before obtaining a full practising licence.
“The only way you can air your grievances is maybe picketing and calling for industrial action.”
The wider health workforce shortage adds pressure to the system.
Government data shows Kenya had a density of just 0.89 medical doctors per 10,000 people in 2024, compared with a regional African average of 3.29 and a requirement of 7.7 doctors per 10,000 people for a health system capable of achieving at least 70% of the Universal Health Coverage service index.
Against that backdrop, Dr Magak argues that protecting interns' labour rights is not simply an employment issue but part of ensuring that healthcare workers are able to perform their responsibilities effectively.