Kiambu officer slams KMPDU, insists their number of newborn deaths was inflated
Kiambu County chief officer of health services, Patrick Nyagah, has scoffed at the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), accusing it of exaggerating newborn deaths’ statistics to fuel public anger amid the ongoing doctors’ strike.
In an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Nyagah claimed the union has misrepresented data from local hospitals to make it seem like the strike has had a catastrophic effect on healthcare delivery.
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“In a health care system, even one death is a matter of concern, and yes, even a single loss is something we take seriously. But when you look at these alarmist numbers, you find inconsistencies in every category,” he said.
“Somebody picked those numbers, added them, and made it look like it is an issue of the last three months. That is misleading,” Nyagah said.
Nyagah’s remarks come amid a push for a public apology from KMPDU from the Council of Governors (CoG) over utterances dismissing neonatal deaths at Kiambu Level 4 Hospital.
In a statement, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah accused the governors of engaging in a public relations campaign while ignoring the gravity of the crisis unfolding in Kiambu’s health sector, where the union says it has documented 131 neonatal deaths amid a doctors’ strike.
“Cease the public relations war and engage KMPDU leadership immediately and in good faith to restore functionality in Kiambu’s health system and across all affected counties,” Atellah said.
On his part, Nyagah has since brushed off the claims and challenged KMPDU to present factual and verified data.
“Look at those halves. What is this half? What is this three? You realise this is a patient, give us actual numbers. You have access to the data, yet what you’re giving are alarmist numbers,” he demanded.
According to the county health boss, the number of deaths recorded between July and September 2025 remains consistent with figures from the same period in 2024.
“The numbers we are dealing with at this point are definitely equal and similar to what we had last year. So, the strike has had no measurable effect on the overall mortality,” he explained.
Who is right?
KMPDU termed the CoG statement, which dismissed reports of neonatal deaths as inaccurate and malicious.
The governors claimed the figures published in the media and referenced by KMPDU were part of a “witch-hunt” targeting devolved governance.
“Governors must remember that their mandate is to serve, not to preside over preventable deaths and then use their offices to deny reality,” Atellah stated.
But Nyagah has clarified that not all deaths reported at facilities are attributable to failed care or strike-related disruptions. He said, Many of the cases involved patients referred in critical condition or even deceased, yet still registered as part of the monthly data tally.
“If you bring in a body or a very sick child from a health Centre, it gets registered. You look at the month and see 11 deaths, but you must ask: what responsibility was the death? That analysis is missing,” he argued.
He insisted on the existence of a robust verification process for all health data, involving the Ministry of Health and independent partners who validate for accuracy, completeness, and believability.
