The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has given the government seven days to resolve the ongoing nurses’ strike, warning that doctors will also withdraw their services if the crisis persists.
The union said the industrial action, now in its 40th day, had severely disrupted healthcare services and placed both patients and doctors under growing pressure.
“What is unfolding is no longer a labour dispute that can be managed through threats. Every day, patients are suffering,” KMPDU Secretary-General Dr. Davji Atellah said.
The union warned that the absence of nurses had left critical gaps in patient care, particularly in intensive care units, high dependency units and hospital wards.
“The critical care that is offered by nurses cannot be offered by any other cadre. In the ICU, in the wards and in the HDU, only nurses can offer that type of care,” said Atellah.
KMPDU said doctors were increasingly overburdened and could not be expected to substitute the work of nurses.
The union also warned of worsening patient outcomes, including preventable complications and deaths, as the strike continues.
“There are many deaths now in our hospitals. There are conditions that have worsened. There are many preventable complications that we cannot normalize,” Atellah said.
KMPDU blamed the prolonged crisis on what it described as government inaction, saying some of the unresolved grievances date back to 2017.
It called for the immediate implementation of agreements already signed with nurses to pave the way for a return to work.
“We demand that the agreements that have been signed by the government be implemented to ensure resumption of duty. We want the government to end this crisis,” the union said.
KMPDU also raised concerns over commitments made to doctors, saying an agreement on salary adjustments across the country had not been fully implemented.
The union cited a meeting held on July 18, 2026, during which it said the government agreed to address the salary issue.
It warned that failure to resolve the nurses’ dispute within seven days would trigger further industrial action by doctors.
“If the strike does not end in the next seven days, then we as doctors are also going on strike because we cannot work or substitute the nurses’ role,” KMPDU said.
The threat raises the prospect of a wider shutdown in public health facilities should both nurses and doctors withdraw their labour, increasing pressure on the government to resolve the dispute before the ultimatum expires.
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