The County Government of Kiambu and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials have reached an agreement to end a stalemate that has seen approximately a third of its doctors go on strike for the last 151 days.
This is after the agreement on the remittance of KMPDU monthly deductions and the consideration of the payment of salaries of the striking doctors, which will be implemented in phases, with an initial payment of a month’s salary to be made immediately.
The KMPDU officials have also asked the county to recover the union dues from doctors for the previous months when remittances had been stopped, upon written confirmation from the union.
This was arrived at during a consultative meeting between the Kiambu County Government and KMPDU officials at the Council of Governors to discuss health issues.
The meeting was chaired by CoG whip Tharaka Nithi, Governor Muthomi Njuki, and Health Committee chair Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir (Mombasa) and attended by Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and KMPDU officials.
The Kiambu County Government agreed to pay the doctors’ salaries withheld during the strike period, allowing them to resume duty.
The doctors have been on strike for over four months, paralysing medical services in the county.
In a statement, Governor Muthomi Njuki announced that the County would pay the striking doctors one month’s dues, in addition to the October salary. The pending three months’ arrears would be settled in the 2026/27 financial year.
Further, the County Government agreed to reinstate the deduction and remittance of Union dues forthwith. Any pending union dues would be paid in accordance with the Return-to-Work formula.
During the meeting, it was also resolved that the employer will not victimise the doctors who took part in the ongoing strike.
The CoG called upon the County Government and the Union to embrace dialogue to resolve the issues and restore normalcy in the health sector.
“We appeal to the doctors to always remember their highest call, which is to protect and preserve life. We urge all doctors in Kiambu County to accept the goodwill extended by the County Government and for the KMPDU to call off the strike,” the statement read in part.
“We remain committed to the doctors’ cause for the betterment of the lives of Kenyans.”
For months, the union has accused Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s administration of ignoring a return-to-work agreement signed last year and of neglecting the suffering of residents affected by the health crisis.
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Governor Wamatangi, on his part, noted with concern that the stalemate had been taken out of proportion and made fodder for county politicians, adding that politicising the crucial sector is detrimental to the well-being of the county and the country.
“If politics and politicians were not part of the mix of the strike that has been there in Kiambu, we’d not have been here today. Moving forward, we want to have a proper and direct engagement with the union when they have issues so that we can solve them,” the Governor said.
He, however, disclosed that his administration adopted deliberate measures to maintain steady health services across the county during the strike period. He quipped that new medics were employed to render services to patients across all health facilities.
Wamatangi reiterated that the county government has been keen to streamline health services delivery, noting that the county experiences an influx of patients. He stated that health facilities in the county treat over 5 million patients annually.
“We have 14 level four hospitals and 103 level three hospitals, and none of those facilities are lacking supplies like medicine. We have already installed a proper Hospital Information Management System to streamline service delivery,” he said.
He, however, called on Doctors to work in unity to serve Kiambu residents.
By John Kamau
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