KMPDU explains why Kiambu doctors are on a prolonged strike
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Attelah has said the Kiambu doctors’ strike has been prolonged due to illegal lockouts and failure by the county government to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Also Watch: KMPDU demands action as Kiambu doctors’ strike enters fourth month
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Speaking in an interview on a local radio station on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Attelah said the strike is legally protected by the courts after multiple failed attempts by doctors to resolve their grievances through proper channels.
“The strike is more driven and it is more prolonged by the county government (Kiambu), because when we went on strike, we had a strike last year for 56 days, where we had a return-to-work formula from another that was signed, deposited in court, and adopted as a court order,” he explained.
“One of the reasons why we went on that strike was the delay in salaries. You work in the counties, you work for three months, and your salaries are not paid. You work in the counties, you don’t see the promotions.”
Also Watch: Kiambu MCAS accuse KMPDU of political manipulation amid healthcare crisis
This comes even as the health crisis in Kiambu continues to deepen, as the county boss, Kimani Wamatangi, remains unshaken, accusing the union of inflating the data to cause alarm.
But, KMPDU is now accusing Wamatangi of escalating the standoff by instituting what he called illegal lockouts and relying on interns and a skeleton staff to keep hospitals operational.
“In labor movements, there is always a way to go on strike, and then the employer can have a lockout; each of them has to give a notice and follow the procedure. But the county moved into illegal lockouts. They did not follow the procedure. They locked out doctors, and then used interns to try and run the hospitals,” Attelah stated.
According to the union, the county’s decision to operate hospitals as though conditions are normal has endangered lives, with referrals being deliberately blocked to avoid public backlash.
“Every week, we received letters from doctors stating they could not handle certain obligations in hospitals. When we tried to refer patients, the county refused. Though referral is part of medical management, they were more concerned with optics,” he said.
Ruto asked to intervene
Meanwhile, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has urged President William Ruto to intervene in what he described as a deepening health crisis in Kiambu County, where over 100 children and several mothers have reportedly died in recent weeks.
Speaking during a church service attended by President Ruto, Ichung’wah expressed sadness that Kiambu has become a subject of discussion over healthcare failures.
“We are sad because our county has become a subject of discussion on national television, in many public fora, on matters touching on health care. We have seen reports, your excellency, in the last few weeks that over 100 plus children have died in our county and mothers as they gave birth,” he said.
“It is not because we do not have facilities. It is because our doctors have been forced to down their tools because the county government of Kiambu has refused to engage them.”
