By:Rhoda Bogeta
More than 20 Congolese medical doctors who have lived and worked in Kenya for over a decade have moved to court to challenge a decision that has effectively locked them out of medical practice.
The doctors have filed an urgent application at the High Court, accusing the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) of acting arbitrarily in declining to renew their licences and work permits.
According to court papers, the dispute stems from a directive issued on January 7, 2026, by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, halting the issuance of letters of no objection, a mandatory requirement for foreign doctors seeking licence renewal.
The applicants argue that the move has shut them out of the healthcare system despite years of service in both public and private hospitals across the country.
Through their lawyer, Danstan Omari, the doctors contend that the decision was made without prior notice, consultation, or justification.
They warn that the directive has already disrupted patient care, with many Kenyans facing uncertainty over the continuation of treatment.
The doctors further argue that the decision violates Kenya’s obligations under the East African Community (EAC) treaty, following the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the regional bloc in 2022, which guarantees equal treatment and the right to work across member states.
In a supporting affidavit, Dr Georges Maloba Banza, the president of the Congolese Medical Practitioners Association in Kenya, states that the doctors had not faced similar hurdles until late last year.
Dr Banza says the licensing portal began demanding letters of no objection from the Ministry of Health, a requirement that had not previously applied to them.
He adds that repeated attempts to obtain the letters were ignored, and in some instances, hospitals employing Congolese doctors were expressly denied approval.
The doctors also accuse the authorities of sharply increasing licence and work permit renewal fees, saying the charges were raised nearly tenfold, making compliance impossible for many of them.
They warn that unless the court intervenes, the impasse could worsen staff shortages in an already strained healthcare system.
The doctors are now seeking court orders to quash the ministry’s decision, compel the renewal of their licences and work permits, and restrain what they describe as arbitrary administrative actions.
