Kiambu faces health sector shutdown as unions issue 7-day strike notice

The Health Union Caucus, bringing together seven major unions in Kenya’s health sector, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to county governments, warning of joint industrial action over what they term persistent injustices against healthcare workers.

The caucus comprises the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya Environment Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHU), Kenya National Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD), Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT), and the Kenya Health Professional Society (KHPS).

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the unions highlighted frustrations surrounding the fate of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff and specific grievances in Kiambu County.

On UHC workers, the unions accused county governments of failing to issue permanent and pensionable employment letters despite the Ministry of Health harmonizing salaries under Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) terms and funds being allocated.

They also faulted the Council of Governors for allegedly directing the Public Service Commission (PSC) to withdraw career guidelines for health workers, undermining the commission’s mandate and stifling career progression.

Additionally, they decried the delayed implementation of SRC-reviewed remuneration structures and the non-payment of arrears.

In Kiambu County, the unions listed a raft of complaints including failure to implement SRC salary guidelines, delayed salaries, lack of promotions, and what they described as an ineffective medical cover that has left critically ill doctors depending on fundraisers for treatment.

They also accused the county government of unilaterally stopping union deductions, victimizing vocal union members through arbitrary transfers, and adopting a “labour lockout” approach by refusing to engage unions despite valid grievances.

The caucus issued seven demands, among them the immediate absorption of all UHC, Global Fund, and CHERP healthcare workers into permanent and pensionable terms with full back pay.

They also demanded full implementation of SRC-reviewed remuneration structures, payment of withheld salaries in Kiambu, the reinstatement of union deductions alongside a non-victimization clause; as well as centralized negotiation of collective bargaining agreements.

The unions further called for investigations by the National Assembly and Senate into alleged mistreatment of health workers in Kiambu.

“We categorically state that failure to address these demands within the next seven days will result in a joint industrial action,” the statement noted.

This comes just days after KMPDU directed intern doctors posted in Kiambu County to collect redeployment letters from the Ministry of Health starting September 29, 2025, following a protracted health workers’ strike that has stretched into its fourth month.

In a notice issued on Sunday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah said the move followed a directive from the ministry dated August 26, 2025, warning that interns would be transferred to other stations across the country if the stalemate persisted beyond September 15.

He stressed that the decision was taken to safeguard the integrity of medical internship training, which he said should not be disrupted by prolonged county-level strikes.

“As the strike in Kiambu is now in its fourth month with no end in sight, there is an urgent need to protect the sanctity of the internship and it should not be affected by prolonged county strikes,” stated Dr. Atellah.

The KMPDU boss further cautioned that interns who fail to collect their redeployment letters and report to new stations will be deemed to have absconded duty by the Ministry.