Kiambu County has appealed for patience from the public, promising to release verified data on the number of neonatal deaths reported at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital during the ongoing doctors’ strike.
This follows uproar sparked by claims from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), which alleges that 131 newborns have died at the facility since the strike began.
Speaking during an interview with NTV, Kiambu County Health
Services Chief Officer Dr Patrick Nyagah disputed the union's figures, terming
them as exaggerated and misleading.
“Even one neonatal death is a matter of concern for any health system,” Nyagah said.
“But when you look at these alarmist numbers, you realise they’ve been doubled in nearly every category. Where they report 16, the actual number is closer to eight. Where they claim six, we find three.”
Nyagah further claimed there was "malice" in the way the figures were compiled, suggesting that some deaths being counted were not recent and others were not directly linked to the strike.
“Even when there is no strike, we still experience some losses. Someone seems to have picked figures from different months, added more, and presented them as though they all occurred during the strike period,” he stated.
He cited the month of September as an example, where KMPDU claimed 33 neonatal deaths, while the county's records showed 11.
“That's three times more than what our records show,” Nyagah said. “And even then, those 11 deaths still need analysis to determine their exact cause.”
He also noted that Kiambu Level 5 is a referral hospital, which receives patients from across the region — including critical cases and, in some instances, deceased newborns brought in for documentation.
“You’ll find the hospital handling 300 babies at a time, including around 100 referrals. Some of these, unfortunately, arrive as bodies,” he explained.
KMPDU has stood by its figures and called for accountability. The union has demanded a public apology from the Council of Governors (CoG) over what it terms as dismissive and irresponsible remarks regarding the deaths.
KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah accused the governors of running a "public relations campaign" instead of acknowledging the gravity of the crisis.
“Cease the PR 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 in a statement.
The Council of Governors, however, has refuted the union’s claims. On Monday, CoG Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi dismissed the reported figures as unverified and misleading.
He alleged that the reports were being manipulated by unnamed individuals aiming to discredit devolution and undermine county health systems.
“This is a witch-hunt targeting devolved governance,” said
Abdullahi. “These numbers are not based on any official, verified data.”
