Kenya: KMPDU Condemns Arrests of Ugandan Medical Interns, Calls for Regional Action

What the report says

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has condemned reports of arrests, harassment and assault involving medical interns in Uganda, according to a Capital FM report distributed by AllAfrica. The union said the treatment of interns and other healthcare workers who are pressing for better conditions could weaken broader efforts to improve health systems in East Africa.

In the statement, KMPDU argued that medical interns should not be treated as criminals for peaceful advocacy over issues such as timely deployment, payment of stipends and safer working conditions. The union said the problems facing Ugandan interns are not just an employment dispute, but part of a wider regional workforce challenge that needs coordinated responses from governments and health-sector stakeholders.

KMPDU called for the immediate and unconditional release of any interns or health workers detained over peaceful demonstrations and urged an end to intimidation, violence and arbitrary arrests. It also appealed to Uganda’s government and Ministry of Health to engage interns in dialogue over the internship crisis.

The union voiced solidarity with the Uganda Medical Association and other medical workers in the region, saying similar pressures on pay, deployment and workload are seen elsewhere in East Africa. As background, this reflects a broader concern across the region about retaining health workers and improving working conditions, though the article did not provide independent verification of the reported arrests.