Nairobi doctors suspend strike after court order
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU), Nairobi branch Secretary, Dr Malindi Chao, addresses the media at Mbagathi County Hospital in Nairobi on January 14, 2026.
What you need to know:
- During the strike, Mbagathi Hospital, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital were the most affected.
- KMPDU clarified that the strike has not been called off entirely but suspended in compliance with a ruling from the Labour Court.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nairobi Branch has announced the suspension of its strike, ordering members to return to work by Monday.
The decision, made on Sunday, comes as a relief to patients and Nairobi residents who have struggled to access medical services at county health facilities over the past 45 days.
Branch Secretary Dr Malindi Chao clarified that the strike has not been called off entirely but suspended in compliance with a ruling from the Employment and Labour Relations Court, which directed a pause to allow further negotiations.
“We have not reached any agreement with the county. They went to court last Friday and we were ordered to suspend the strike. We are law-abiding citizens. We met our members and agreed to suspend it,” Dr Chao said.
However, KMPDU officials accused Governor Johnson Sakaja's county government of warning them that failure to comply with the court order could amount to contempt and possible dismissal.
“It is the same county that has been in contempt since April 2024 and 2025 when we went on strike. We signed a return-to-work formula which they were meant to implement, but they have not done so,” Dr Chao added.
The union’s main grievance remains the health insurance cover for its members, insisting the county address the gaps in coverage beyond the current SHA scheme.
“We don’t have a working comprehensive cover. They have forced us to take SHA which is not functioning at all. Members are suffering. Ninety per cent of Nairobi employees used to go to Nairobi West Hospital, which withdrew its services last week. Members are now struggling,” Dr Chao said.
The union also reiterated its demands for promotion and payment of doctors absorbed from the defunct NMS, warning that the strike will resume in 30 days if these demands are not met.
The union's Nairobi Branch chairperson Dr Moses Maero criticised county leadership for failing to prioritise health while focusing on other projects.
“You have not prioritised lives but prioritise roads, houses, and land. You prioritise giving a child food but cannot prioritise health so that the child can eat. This is a warning to Nairobi County: come 30 days, we will be back if nothing changes,” Dr Maero said.
During the strike, Mbagathi Hospital, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital were the most affected, with patients unattended or turned away.
Dagoretti Sub-County Hospital in Mutuini continued offering limited services by hiring locum doctors and medical practitioners to attend to outpatients and expectant mothers.
Mutuini CEO Dr Martin Wafula said patient numbers have increased, putting pressure on limited medical equipment.
“The hospital is 100 percent functioning. We have engaged more locum doctors. Our theaters are fully operational, and we have locum clinical officer anesthetists. We are also setting up a telemedicine platform to serve patients in peripheral areas,” Dr Wafula said.
