KMPDU boss Davji Atellah reveals plot to oust Governor Wamatangi
By David Nthua, October 15, 2025Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Atellah has revealed that doctors, together with Kiambu residents, are collecting signatures to remove Governor Kimani Wamatangi from office and push for the dissolution of the Kiambu County Government.
Speaking to a local TV station on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Atellah said the decision follows months of frustration over what he termed as Governor Wamatangi’s continued neglect of the health sector and disregard for the welfare of medical workers.
“We are collecting signatures together with Kiambu residents to submit to Parliament to remove the Governor from office and request that the county government be dissolved,” Atellah said.
Elsewhere, clergy have warned Kiambu politicians against turning healthcare into a political battlefield.
Ongoing doctors’ strike
Atellah said the ongoing strike by doctors in Kiambu County is driven by long-standing grievances, including lack of medical cover, delayed salaries, and poor working conditions.
“The reason we are striking is, first, because doctors need to have medical cover like everyone else. They are offering services they themselves cannot afford. Second, salary delays; Kiambu County is among the most notorious for not paying its doctors on time,” he stated.
He noted that despite repeated appeals, the county government has failed to act, leaving doctors demoralised and hospitals paralysed.
The KMPDU boss said the county’s health system has collapsed, with many patients suffering due to a lack of basic services.
He added that doctors are being forced to work under unsafe and inhumane conditions.
Baby deaths and negligence claims
Atellah further claimed that the union has documented multiple infant deaths at county hospitals caused by poor conditions and lack of resources.
“We have files for each and every baby who died in that hospital, containing details of their parents and guardians; 58 from Kiambu Level 5 and 68 from Thika Level 5,” Atellah said.
Earlier, the Kiambu leadership had denied child death claims and assured strong health services.
“Yet the government is denying it, claiming it’s politics, which shows complacency from the Council of Governors.”
He accused the county administration of hiding behind political statements instead of taking responsibility for the deteriorating state of healthcare in Kiambu.
Atellah said the doctors will not resume work until all their demands are met and accountability is enforced.
The Kiambu doctors’ strike has entered its fifth month, crippling services in most public hospitals.
Patients seeking treatment have been forced to travel to neighbouring counties as negotiations between the union and the county government remain deadlocked.