Doctors in Isiolo County have officially begun their strike after the expiry of a 21-day notice issued to the county government, a move that has now sparked concern over the disruption of health services in the region.

The strike, which began on Tuesday evening, June 2, 2026, has left patients stranded as health services face disruption following the breakdown of talks between the county government and medical practitioners. It was announced by KMPDU Upper Eastern Branch officials, following what they described as the county government’s failure to address longstanding concerns affecting healthcare workers.

“County has ignored us,” doctors say

Speaking as the strike kicked off in a local station on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Isiolo doctors accused the county government of failing to address their long-standing grievances, saying repeated engagements had yielded no results.

“Tumechoka na county kutuzungusha na kutupatia empty promises,” Dr Kanani Kubai said. “We issued a 21-day strike notice and up to now the Isiolo county government has done nothing.”

She said even a last-minute meeting convened by the county did not resolve the core issues raised by health workers.

No promotions for over 10 years

Doctors further cited stagnation in career progression, arguing that many medical practitioners have remained in the same job groups for years without promotion or redesignation despite continued service delivery.

“Some doctors have worked more than 10 years in the same job group, working tirelessly for the people of Isiolo with nothing to show for their labour,” Kubai added.

They warned that continued neglect of health workers’ welfare risks worsening service delivery in an already strained system.

Health worker shortage fears grow amid strike

The strike comes at a time when national health experts are raising alarm over workforce shortages in the medical sector.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Atellah has warned that the country’s limited number of health workers could weaken its ability to respond to emergencies such as infectious disease outbreaks.

He noted that long waiting times in hospitals already reflect system strain, warning that “many patients in public hospitals wait over 24 hours to see a doctor.”

Atellah has also questioned whether repeated government promises to recruit more health workers have been fully implemented, saying the staffing gap remains a major vulnerability in Kenya’s health system.

The ongoing strike in Isiolo now adds pressure on county health services, with patients likely to bear the brunt as talks remain unresolved.