Doctors’ unions to withdraw members after Kitengela attack 

By , July 9, 2025

Health services in all the counties affected by Monday’s Saba Saba protests are set to suffer after two unions withdrew their members from work following the attack and disruption of operations at the Kitengela sub-county hospital in Kajiado. 

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) on July 8, 2025, expressed concern over the silence from the national government and the County of Kajiado following the attack by armed goons. 

In a joint statement, the two unions also raised concern over the blockade witnessed on major roads leading to Nairobi city centre, causing untold suffering to patients who were out to seek healthcare services in various hospitals. 

“We hereby announce the immediate withdrawal of all unionised health personnel from all health facilities in areas affected by violence, until the government guarantees security and protection for all health workers; all the perpetrators of the violence and vandalism, are arrested and prosecuted,” the unions said in a statement signed jointly by KUCO Secretary General, George Gibore and his KUNMLO counterpart, Pius Nyakundi. 

Accessing services 

They are also demanding that full restoration and repair of the Kitengela sub-county hospital be undertaken. 

“We are also demanding that the local administration and security agencies issue formal apologies and commit to non-repetition,” they said. 

The two leaders further expressed concern about the blockade of public roads, which denied Kenyans urgent access to hospital services.

The roadblocks erected by the police to prevent protesters from accessing the city centre, Gibore and Nyakundi noted, impeded the free movement of the unions’ members to and from their workplaces.  

“This not only violates workers’ rights but also poses a direct threat to public health and emergency response,” they said. 

While calling on President William Ruto to initiate an all-inclusive national dialogue – aimed at resolving the current national crisis – the unions demanded that in the future such roadblocks and barriers should not limit accessibility to healthcare service providers as well as citizens seeking medical services during the protest. 

“Local and national authorities should deploy adequate armed security to all health institutions,” they said, revealing that a joint crisis meeting will be convened within 72 hours with the ministries of Health, Labour, the county government, and national security agencies to address these escalating threats. 

Going forward, if the government fails to meet the above demands, the unions shall totally withdraw their members from the affected areas without notice, they say. 

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