The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has announced the redeployment of medical interns from Kiambu County after a protracted four-month strike disrupted their training.
In a statement on Sunday, the union directed all interns stationed in Kiambu to collect their redeployment letters from the Ministry of Health (MoH) beginning Monday, September 29, 2025, at 9am. The decision follows a warning letter issued to Governor Kimani Wamatangi on August 26, stating that unless the county resolved the strike by September 15, interns would be reassigned to other facilities across the country.
“Failure to collect the redeployment letter and move will be deemed as abscondment of your internship duty,” KMPDU cautioned.
The affected interns include 138 Medical Officer interns, 48 Pharmacist interns, five Dentist interns, 297 BSc Nursing interns, 134 Clinical Officer (Diploma) interns, and 75 Clinical Officer (Degree) interns. Collectively, over 690 young medics have been caught in the standoff.
Internship programs, which officially began on July 1, have already been delayed by more than two months, raising fears of disruptions to their academic schedules. Many interns expressed frustration, noting that their peers deployed to other counties had already commenced training, putting them at a disadvantage.
Governor Wamatangi has remained firm, insisting that doctors on strike in Kiambu would not receive salaries unless they returned to work. His stance has drawn sharp criticism from health workers and professional bodies, who argue that the impasse undermines medical training and healthcare delivery.
The redeployment marks a significant intervention by the MoH and KMPDU to safeguard internship programs from prolonged county-level disputes. National and county governments are currently working on a new framework with the union to minimize recurring wrangles that disrupt healthcare services.
