KMPDU reschedules Kiambu protest to October 13 as doctors’ strike enters fifth month of healthcare crisis

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has rescheduled its planned demonstration in Kiambu County from Wednesday, October 8, to Monday, October 13, 2025.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, the union explained that the decision was aimed at ensuring broader participation and effective coordination among stakeholders.

“The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) wishes to inform members, partners, and the public that the planned Kiambu demonstration, initially scheduled for Wednesday, 8th October 2025, has been rescheduled to Monday, 13th October 2025,” the statement read in part.

“This adjustment is intended to ensure broader participation, effective coordination, and meaningful engagement with all relevant stakeholders as we continue to demand accountability and dignified working conditions for doctors, as well as quality healthcare for all Kenyans,” the statement added.

The union reaffirmed its commitment to defending healthcare workers’ rights and ensuring the delivery of quality medical services to Kenyans.

The announcement comes as the health workers’ strike in Kiambu enters its fifth month since it began on May 26.

Last week, the government redeployed all 697 medical interns assigned to Kiambu County to other regions after they failed to begin their internships, which were initially scheduled to start on July 1.

On Monday, October 6, KMPDU also revealed plans for a nationwide strike in 19 days, as tensions with the Council of Governors (CoG) continue to escalate. The union criticized CoG’s response to reports of 136 newborn deaths in Kiambu County, describing the governors’ comments as “callous insensitivity.”

“For 131 days, patients, the very wananchi who pay your hefty salaries, have suffered in dilapidated facilities that bear the hallmarks of looting and supervised destruction of our public healthcare system,” the union stated.

The Council of Governors, through Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, had earlier maintained that Kiambu’s health system remains functional, accusing the union and the Ministry of Health of politicizing the crisis.

“The health function in Kiambu is functional, and we have doctors in all facilities and are on duty. We urge the Ministry of Health and KMPDU to stop politicizing health and allow county governments to manage the function as mandated,” Abdullahi said.

However, KMPDU dismissed the statement, accusing governors of hypocrisy and neglecting the suffering of ordinary Kenyans while they seek treatment in private and overseas hospitals.