KNH Says It Is Overwhelmed Due To Kiambu Doctors' Strike

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has decried that it is in crisis mode as a surge of critically ill patients floods its wards, following the ongoing strike that has crippled health services in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.

In a statement on Wednesday, October 8, Acting CEO Dr. Richard Lesiyampe said the hospital is stretched beyond capacity, with the Maternity Department taking the hardest hit — the Labour Ward and Newborn Unit now handling more than double their usual caseload.

“Sadly, some of the mothers and babies are arriving too late, and a few have had poor health outcomes despite the best efforts of our dedicated medical teams,” Lesiyampe said, underscoring the growing toll of the industrial action.

A photo of doctors during a past strike. /UZALENDO NEWS

The strike, which has paralyzed county health operations for weeks, has turned KNH into the main referral point for patients in need of urgent care. However, with the surge in numbers, the hospital’s operating theatres, blood bank, and diagnostic units are under extreme strain.

“Our staff are working tirelessly around the clock, but resources are stretched to the limit,” the statement continued.

KNH has appealed to striking medics and county governments to urgently resolve the stalemate, warning that continued disruption could cost more lives.

“Restoring normal operations in Kiambu and Nairobi County hospitals will ease the pressure on KNH and ensure that patients receive care closer to their homes and on time,” Lesiyampe urged.

The situation highlights the deepening healthcare crisis gripping the capital region, as Kenya’s largest referral hospital struggles to absorb the overflow from facilities crippled by the industrial action.

The development follows recent claims by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) that at least 136 infants had died during the ongoing doctors’ strike, which has now stretched past four months — a figure that Kiambu County officials have dismissed as inflated.

During an interview with NTV on Tuesday, October 7, Kiambu County Health Officer Patrick Nyagah refuted the union’s report, accusing KMPDU of exaggerating the numbers to stir public outrage and misrepresent the situation.

He maintained that the county’s mortality figures remain consistent with those recorded last year, before the strike began.

Doctors in Kiambu downed their tools on May 26, a standoff that later forced the redeployment of all 697 medical interns who had been assigned to local health facilities.

A ward at Kenyatta National Hospital Infectious Disease Unit- Mbagathi. /KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL