Kenyans React as MoH Confirms Intern Doctors Will Earn Up to Ksh 208K Monthly >> Not Just the Ksh 46K on Posting Letters

The Ministry of Health has responded to rising concern and confusion over the salaries of newly posted intern doctors, clarifying that the actual monthly income is far higher than what appears on their posting letters. 

According to the Ministry, the figure of Ksh 46,120 shown in the documents only reflects the basic salary.  

Once allowances under the CSG 9 / Job Group L pay grade are factored in, intern doctors will be earning between Ksh 180,000 and Ksh 208,000 per month. The ministry explained that the wide range in pay depends largely on where each intern is posted, as different locations come with varying entitlements. 

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale addressed the issue publicly on Monday, stating that the government is committed to ensuring health workers are adequately compensated.  

He reaffirmed that intern doctors will receive their full dues and emphasized the administration’s intention to avoid any future industrial disputes in the health sector as part of its broader push for universal health coverage. 

Duale’s remarks follow an announcement made on June 27, where he revealed that the government is deploying over 6,000 medical interns under the 2025/2026 cohort. This latest posting marks one of the largest internship intakes in recent years and spans across various disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and clinical medicine. 

The clarification also received backing from Dennis Miskellah, Deputy Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union. He explained that the Ksh 208,000 figure is not a flat rate for all interns, but rather the upper limit of a pay scale that varies with location and job responsibilities. 

According to Miskellah, the remuneration follows the established civil service framework, which combines the base salary with a range of allowances. 

Those allowances include benefits such as housing, hardship postings, commuter support, emergency call duty, and overtime compensation. In some cases, interns not involved in active clinical work may also receive a non-practice allowance, further enhancing their take-home pay. 

The Ministry’s effort to clarify the real earnings has been seen as an attempt to quell unrest and maintain transparency within the health sector.  

With growing public scrutiny and heightened expectations among new interns, the government hopes this clarity will lay the groundwork for stability and continued progress toward achieving universal health coverage in Kenya.