By the time Dr Liz Njeri boarded a flight to England in 2008, she was ready to abandon medicine altogether. 'I was ready to leave medicine [despite the nine years of training] and do something else,' she says. 'It was just the frustration of the system.'
Dr Njeri's story is not unique. Many Kenyan doctors have moved to the UK, drawn by better pay, working conditions, and career progression. According to the General Medical Council, over 1,000 Kenyan-trained doctors were registered to practice in the UK as of 2023, a number that has grown significantly in recent years.
The migration is driven by push factors in Kenya, including low salaries, lack of equipment, and limited specialist training opportunities. In the UK, these doctors often find a more structured system, though they still face challenges such as discrimination and the need to pass rigorous exams.
Despite these hurdles, many Kenyan doctors in the UK report high job satisfaction and professional growth. The NHS benefits from their skills, while Kenya loses valuable medical talentβa brain drain that the Kenyan government has struggled to address.
