KMPDU decries staff shortages, patient deaths in Kiambu hospitals
By Aloys Michael, October 14, 2025Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Secretary General Davji Atellah has raised an alarm over the handling of hospitals in Kiambu County amid an ongoing strike.
In an interview on a local Radio station on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Attelah said the county’s approach to staffing and patient referrals is putting lives at risk.
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“You know, in Kiambu County, we have unprecedented, what we call illegal lockout. We went on strike. But counties thought, instead of engaging and resolving the problems, went into politics and into PR, and the first instance they did was to employ some doctors, about 50 of them, and then they also had interns,” he said.
This comes as the county government maintains that the ongoing strike has not affected operations or led to a surge in mortality rate.
Normally, hospitals rely on a full team, including medical officers, pharmacists, dentists, and consultants, to handle complex cases, especially in pediatric and maternal units.
Also Watch: Kiambu MCAS accuse KMPDU of political manipulation amid healthcare crisis
But the union explained that hospitals are unable to function properly because most consultants and specialized staff are absent.
“Here comes a situation where a county operates with 50 doctors, like everything is normal. Each and every week, we used to have letters from doctors reporting complications they couldn’t manage,” Attelah explained.
Kiambu health crisis
Attelah insists that the Kiambu health crisis, which has claimed innocent lives, reflects the deeper rot in the healthcare system, including neglect, underfunding, and a blatant disregard for the welfare of both patients and doctors.
Additionally, KMPDU had said the strike has led to preventable deaths, particularly among newborns and mothers.
He said they have documented 136 cases across two Level Five hospitals (Kiambu and Thika), complete with patient details, medical records, and contacts.
“Some of the mothers were explaining, I got a preterm baby three months ago. Before the strike, the baby was being managed well, until the strike started…within one month, they lost the baby,” he stated.
Tensions between the union and the Council of Governors (COG) escalated on October 6, 2025, after COG disputed the reports of 136 newborn deaths, calling them inaccurate.
COG Chairman and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi described the reports appearing in some publications as “not factual but pure witch-hunt.” Atellah fired back, condemning the dismissal of the reports as “false” and terming the statement “heartless and insensitive.”
The union accused governors of ignoring a collapsing health system while seeking treatment abroad, demanding a public apology, an independent probe, and the dissolution of the Kiambu County Government for negligence.