Doctors to Stage Mass Demonstrations in Kiambu Next Week Amid Row Over Newborn Deaths
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has announced that its planned demonstration in Kiambu County will now take place on Monday, October 13, 2025, instead of Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
Reason for the Change
According to a statement from KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah, the postponement was made to allow for broader consultations with stakeholders. The union said the move will help ensure effective coordination and wider participation as doctors continue to demand accountability, fair working conditions, and quality healthcare for all Kenyans.
“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,” said Dr. Atellah.
He added that the shift aims to foster “meaningful engagement with all relevant stakeholders” while emphasizing the union’s unwavering commitment to defend the rights of healthcare workers and uphold the highest service standards.
Row Over Newborn Deaths in Kiambu
The planned protests come amid public outrage over reports of 131 newborn deaths in Kiambu hospitals, an issue that has sparked a heated standoff between KMPDU and the Council of Governors (CoG).
Dr. Atellah accused the CoG of being “heartless and indifferent,” saying it had trivialized the tragedy by dismissing credible reports as “false publications” and “mischief.”
He condemned CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi for what he termed a distortion of facts, insisting that the suffering families and existing death certificates speak for themselves.
The union linked the deaths to systemic failure, poor hospital conditions, and negligence by county governments. It also cited broken promises and lack of accountability as reasons behind the ongoing doctors’ strike in Kiambu.
County Government Response
In response, Kiambu County officials dismissed KMPDU’s claims as exaggerated. Chief Officer for Health Services Patrick Nyagah termed the figures “alarmist and inaccurate,” alleging that the union inflated the numbers to create unnecessary panic.
As tensions rise, demonstrators plan to spotlight the ongoing healthcare crisis, pressuring county and national authorities to confront medical negligence, inadequate funding, and accountability failures in public hospitals.
