The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists
Union (KMPDU) has demanded a public apology from the Council of Governors (CoG)
over remarks dismissing claims of neonatal deaths at Kiambu Level 4 Hospital.
The union insisted that a transparent, independent inquiry be launched into the matter.
In a statement, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah accused the governors of engaging in a public relations campaign while ignoring the gravity of the crisis unfolding in Kiambu’s health sector, where the union says it has documented 131 neonatal deaths amid a doctors’ strike.
“Cease the public relations war and engage KMPDU leadership immediately and in good faith to restore functionality in Kiambu's health system and across all affected counties,” Atellah said.
The union termed as contemptuous and heartless the statement issued by the CoG, which dismissed reports of neonatal deaths as inaccurate and malicious.
The governors claimed the figures published in the media and referenced by KMPDU were part of a "witch-hunt" targeting devolved governance.
“Governors must remember that their mandate is to serve, not to preside over preventable deaths and then use their offices to deny reality,” added Atellah.
On Monday, CoG Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi refuted the reports, saying the number of newborn deaths cited was misleading and not based on verified data.
He claimed that the publications were being used by unnamed forces to undermine devolution and discredit the progress made in county health systems.
“The Council dissociates from the headline about the death of 136 babies and categorically states that it is not factual but pure witch-hunt,” Abdullahi said.
He further defended devolution in health, asserting that “external forces” were attempting to “paint a bad picture” of counties' management of the health function.
In response, Atellah said the CoG’s attempt to dismiss the documented deaths amounted to a grotesque display of political malice and indifference to the lives lost.
“The ongoing strike is a direct consequence of systemic failures, broken promises, and blatant neglect overseen by County Governments,” he said.
“This Union will not stand idly by while our members are blamed for your failures and the truth about lost lives is distorted.”
He also rejected the council’s claim that health services in Kiambu were functional, saying doctors remain on strike due to unaddressed grievances including poor working conditions, non-payment of salaries, and lack of essential medical supplies.
The union maintains that unless urgent corrective measures are taken, more lives will be lost in what it terms a preventable health crisis.
“The governors' core responsibility is to safeguard the health of the populace — a duty you are spectacularly failing,” Atellah said.
