The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a scathing condemnation of the Council of Governors (CoG) over what it describes as “callous insensitivity and disdain” following the reported deaths of 131 newborns in Kiambu County.
In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, KMPDU accused the CoG, chaired by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, of downplaying the crisis by terming the widely reported deaths as “pure mischief” and “false publication.”
“The death certificates, the grieving families, and the empty cribs speak louder than your press statements,” said Dr. Davji Atellah, Secretary General and CEO of KMPDU.
The union described the CoG’s statement as “a grotesque display of indifference, political malice, and a shameful dereliction of duty,” arguing that it reflects a systemic failure by county governments to prioritize healthcare.
KMPDU directly blamed the industrial stalemate and deteriorating hospital conditions in Kiambu County for the neonatal deaths, noting that the strike by healthcare workers had entered its 131st day without resolution.
“Your collective response to this humanitarian crisis is one of supreme aloofness and unforgivable hypocrisy,” the union stated, accusing governors of seeking private healthcare abroad while neglecting collapsing public systems at home.
KMPDU issued a four-point demand list, which included an immediate retraction and public apology from the Council of Governors, urgent and meaningful engagement with the union to restore services in Kiambu and other affected counties and a transparent and independent public inquiry into the 131 reported neonatal deaths.
It also called for the I mmediate resignation of Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi or dissolution of the Kiambu County Government by the President for “criminal negligence.”
KMPDU warned that failure to address these demands would trigger a nationwide doctors’ strike beginning October 25, 2025, in solidarity with health workers in Kiambu and to “protect the dignity of the medical profession.”
The mounting crisis has ignited public outrage and renewed scrutiny on the state of devolved healthcare in Kenya. Civil society organizations and local leaders have also called for investigations into conditions at Kiambu health facilities, many of which remain understaffed and poorly equipped due to the prolonged strike.
The Council of Governors has not issued a follow-up statement in response to KMPDU’s accusations at the time of publication.
As the standoff escalates, the country’s fragile public health system remains at risk, with thousands of patients left in limbo and the prospect of a nationwide healthcare shutdown looming.
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