Kiambu doctors to down tools next week, union says

Doctors in Kiambu County have announced that they will commence their strike next week on Monday.
The medics have cited failure by the county government to address their grievances as they added that the administration has refused to have a dialogue with them.

“For 21 days, we waited. We gave notice. We spoke clearly. But Kiambu County responded with silence—no meeting, no dialogue, no intention to resolve the crisis they’ve created,” the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Atellah said.

In a statement to the press, Atellah said they have been demanding action on action on delayed salaries, poor working conditions, and the failure to implement agreed-upon Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

According to Atellah, Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s administration has neglected medics and is contempt not only to them but also the people of Kiambu.

The KMPDU boss has since directed the union’s members to begin discharging and referring patients ahead of the planned industrial action.

“We call on all our members to begin discharging and referring patients. The time for waiting is over. The time for action is now,” he stated.

Atellah emphasised that the strike is aimed at restoring dignity and securing the future of healthcare in the county.

“This is not just a strike, it is a reclaiming of our dignity, our rights, and the future of healthcare in this country. We will not negotiate through silence. We will not accept being treated as expendable,” said the doctors’ union chief.

KMPDU further called on the public to support the strike, saying the current state of healthcare affects everyone.

“To the people of Kiambu: This fight is for you too. A healthcare system that disrespects its doctors is a system that fails its people. Stand with us, as we have always stood with you,” he said.