The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has maintained that doctors in Kiambu County will not resume work until all their grievances are resolved.
In a statement on Thursday, August 14, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah said the union is dealing with rogue leadership in the county and vowed to continue the industrial action until their demands are met.
"When dealing with rogue leadership, there is no standard formula. We remain on a protected strike, and we will not return to work until every single issue is addressed and an end to victimization and intimidation of healthcare workers," he said
Atellah noted that the decision to strike was not made lightly, pointing out that the union had pursued dialogue and honored agreements in good faith, only for the county administration to ignore them.
"Today marks Day 80 of the ongoing doctors’ strike in Kiambu. This is not a decision taken lightly. We have been patient, we have engaged in dialogue, and we have honored agreements in good faith. Yet the county leadership has chosen to ignore court orders, disregard the CBA, and gamble with the lives of Kiambu residents," he added.
Read More
Atellah further announced plans to escalate the protest, revealing that doctors will next week begin a series of demonstrations to further pressure the county administration into action.
"Next week, we begin a series of demonstrations to amplify our call. Our strike is not just about salaries or promotions, it is about the right of every Kiambu resident to access quality, timely, and dignified healthcare.
"We are not just fighting for ourselves, we are fighting for the future of healthcare in Kiambu and across Kenya," he further said.
Thus new development comes a week after Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa iissued an ultimatum to Governor Kimani Wamatangi over the ongoing healthcare crisis in the county.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 6, Thang’wa said Kiambu County was on its 70th day of a 'medical crisis', marked by neglect and failure of leadership.
"Today marks 70 days of medical crisis in Kiambu County – 70 days of preventable suffering, 70 days of administrative failure, and 70 days of a Governor who has abdicated his duty to the people of Kiambu,” he said.
Thang’wa went on to claim that hospitals across the county remain non-functional due to a sustained doctors’ strike that has lasted 70 days.
He added that the county is short of more than 300 doctors and warned that 13 major health facilities face closure due to their deteriorating state.
According to Thang'wa, among the facilities at risk are Thika, Kiambu and Catundu Level V hospitals, as well as ten Level IV hospitals located in Tigoni, Ruiru, Igegania, Kihara, Ruthigiti, Karuri, Cachororo, Githunguri, Wangige and Lari.
He also raised alarm over the exit of medical interns from county hospitals, saying they are unwilling to serve in dangerous and unsupported working environments.
Thang'wa further accused Wamatangi of defying a High Court order by ignoring the 2024 Return-to-Work Formula issued in May, which was intended to resolve the standoff between the county government and health workers.
"The Governor has failed both the medical professionals and the people of Kiambu. While I sympathize with the doctors over the unbearable workload and conditions, it is the patients who continue to bear the heaviest burden – suffering in under-resourced, barely functioning hospitals," he added.
