Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale speaking in Parliament on November 5, 2025 / Screengrab Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has revealed that 164 newborns and 14 mothers died in Kiambu County during the five-month doctors’ strike.
Speaking before Members of Parliament, Duale described the deaths as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable.”
He said maternal and newborn services were among the worst affected as public hospitals scaled down operations during the industrial action.
“It is very sad. It's unacceptable. It should not happen in any hospital—public, private, or faith-based. During this period of the strike, 164 newborn deaths and 14 maternal deaths were recorded,” Duale told MPs.
He cautioned that due to reporting disruptions, these figures could be understated.
Duale further noted that outpatient visits at Thika Level 5 and Kiambu County Referral Hospital fell sharply compared to the same period last year.
Attendance dropped from 80,452 patients between June and August 2024 to 54,282 during the strike in 2025, meaning over 26,000 people missed accessing care in the county.
The disruption also led many patients to seek services in neighbouring counties, putting additional strain on facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital, which handled more than twice its usual capacity during this period, he said.
Duale warned that some health staff in Kiambu may have failed to file or potentially falsified mortality data, noting that non-reporting is a criminal offence under the Digital Health Act, 2023.
He added that he had formally engaged the Kiambu governor by phone, text, and letter, urging a prompt resolution in the public interest to prevent further service disruptions.
On October 1, KMPDU reported that more than 105 lives had been lost in Kiambu hospitals since the strike began in May.
In a statement signed by KMPDU chairperson Dr James Githinji, the union said two hospitals in the county recorded 53 infant deaths in September alone.
The statement cited data showing 18 infant deaths each in May and June, 14 in July, 18 in August, and 34 newborn deaths in September at Thika Level 5 Hospital.
The Kiambu County Government, however, dismissed the allegations, accusing the union of inflating maternal and neonatal mortality figures.
The strike ended on October 24, when doctors in Kiambu reached an agreement with the county government and the Council of Governors, concluding one of the longest medical standoffs in recent months.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) confirmed the signing of a return-to-work formula.
Among those present at the ceremony were Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, and KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah.
Atellah said the agreement followed more than 150 days of strike action and 18 meetings between the union and the county government.
“Today, we have signed a return-to-work formula that provides clear timelines on pending promotions, salary delays, and statutory remittances,” he said.
Under the agreement, the county government has committed to implementing pending promotions within six weeks, ensuring salaries and statutory deductions are paid on time, and strengthening health financing systems to prevent future disputes.
Atellah added that the county had assured that by the 9th of every month, all statutory remittances, including those to the Social Health Authority (SHA), would be cleared.
