KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah. [File, Standard]
Siaya County health services ground to a halt on Tuesday after doctors suspended operations to protest an alleged assault on a colleague by county officials and an area chief.
In a statement, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza branch announced that all its members working in the county withdrew their services following the November 30 incident in Bondo Sub-County.
The union claims a young doctor was attacked by county staff and the area chief around 10 p.m. while attending to emergency patients, one of whom later died from gunshot wounds.
Branch Secretary Aggrey Nyabuti said the doctor’s only offence was providing emergency services to a patient other than the one preferred by a county official.
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“This barbaric act is not only morally reprehensible but also a direct violation of international labour standards,” Nyabuti said in a letter addressed to County Secretary Joseph Ogutu.
The union cited the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 155 on Occupational Safety and Health, which obligates employers and governments to ensure workplaces are safe and free from violence, intimidation and hazards.
Nyabuti said the union will not tolerate violence against healthcare workers and suspended all medical services until Governor James Orengo takes decisive action.
The union demands that Orengo rein in county executive committee members, personal assistants and local leaders, guarantee adherence to workplace safety guidelines, and publicly commit to protecting healthcare workers from intimidation and assault.
Branch Chairman Steve Ndonga noted that doctors in Siaya have lodged complaints of verbal abuse and intimidation during consultations, with several cases of threats and beatings documented in local hospitals, particularly in emergency wards.
“We won’t bury our heads in the sand. Our members have encountered harassment, intimidation, and in some cases, physical assault by patients or relatives while discharging their duties,” Ndonga told reporters on Tuesday.
He added that some of these acts were reportedly perpetrated by government leaders.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Siaya branch also condemned the attack. Branch Secretary Kennedy Hamisi said staff were physically assaulted and the medical doctor was forcibly frog-marched while attending to an emergency case.
Hamisi said perpetrators went further to threaten termination of employment, an act he termed unlawful and abusive.
“In light of this incident and until the above demands are addressed, our members will not resume duties at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital,” Hamisi said.
County Secretary Ogutu said a preliminary review by the Department of Health found no evidence suggesting that any county officials, staff from the Office of the Governor, or other county personnel were involved in any assault on the medical officer on the night of November 30.
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Ogutu explained that the incident involved two patients who were rushed to a county health facility with gunshot wounds. One patient later died due to the severity of his injuries, while the second was stabilised and transferred to Siaya County Referral Hospital, where he is reported to be out of danger.
He noted that commotion erupted when relatives and members of the public accompanied the patients, disrupting emergency operations, which appeared to contribute to misunderstandings surrounding the incident.
“Immediately after the incident, the Department of Health convened a multistakeholder meeting with hospital leadership and staff who were on duty. A formal investigation is ongoing, and the county has assured that its findings will be made public once concluded,” Ogutu said.
He emphasised that the county remains committed to safeguarding health workers and maintaining a safe environment for service delivery.
Ogutu further noted that ongoing engagements with KMPDU aim to address concerns constructively while ensuring uninterrupted health services for residents.
Ndonga cited previous assaults, including the 2024 attack on senior oncologist Balaji Jagannathan, who was stabbed multiple times by a patient.
Doctors will not return to work until security is strengthened in all health facilities, perpetrators of violence are prosecuted promptly, and a binding framework is established to prevent future attacks, the union said.
The union also demanded swift passage of legislation that criminalises violence against medical professionals and guarantees strict penalties.
“As the doctors’ union, our members will not continue to risk their lives in unsafe workplaces until measures guaranteeing our safety are implemented,” Ndonga observed.
The strike comes after Siaya County experienced multiple labour disputes in 2025, including a strike by doctors in January over delayed promotions and a September incident where nurses were attacked during a protest outside the governor’s office.
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