Kiambu Doctors End Four-Month Strike After County Agrees to Pay Withheld Salaries

Doctors in Kiambu County are expected to return to work after a four-month strike, following a deal reached between the County Government and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU). The agreement was brokered during a consultative meeting chaired by the Council of Governors (CoG), aimed at resolving the prolonged health crisis in the county.

Under the deal, the County Government has agreed to pay the doctors one month’s withheld salary together with their October pay. The remaining three months’ arrears will be settled in the 2026/2027 financial year, according to CoG Whip Muthomi Njuki, who confirmed the resolution. He added that the county had also committed to reinstating the deduction and remittance of union dues, which had been suspended during the strike.

The CoG emphasized that the agreement was a product of good faith and urged both sides to maintain open dialogue to prevent future disruptions in healthcare services. It further directed that no doctor who took part in the strike would face disciplinary action.

“We appeal to the doctors to remember their duty to save lives and to appreciate the goodwill extended by the county government,” the CoG statement read in part. It also reaffirmed the council’s commitment to ensuring fair treatment of healthcare workers and the restoration of quality services to residents.

The strike, which began over salary arrears and poor working conditions, had severely affected healthcare delivery in Kiambu, leaving patients stranded in public hospitals. KMPDU had earlier accused Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s administration of neglecting their welfare and ignoring previous agreements.

With this deal now in place, both the county and the union have expressed optimism that normal services will resume immediately, marking a step toward restoring stability in Kiambu’s health sector.