NAIROBI – July 4, 2025
As Kenya grapples with an alarming surge in violent crackdowns; increasingly carried out through the use of hired goons, vandalism, and forceful suppression of lawful assemblies; one critical impact remains dangerously ignored: the toll on healthcare systems and frontline health workers.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), alongside the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), the Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD), and the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), jointly express deep concern and outrage at the rising tide of violence targeting both citizens and healthcare professionals.
A Dangerous Pattern
The recent violent disruption of a peaceful doctors’ assembly in Kwale County is not an isolated case, it is part of a growing, disturbing trend. In this incident, medical professionals had gathered lawfully to deliberate on matters affecting the profession, only to be met with unlawful force and intimidation.
Such acts are a direct violation of constitutional rights and represent a threat to professional autonomy, safety, and the right to organize.
Health Facilities Under Siege
The fallout of this violence is not abstract. It is felt in our hospitals and clinics, where injured protestors and bystanders flood emergency rooms already stretched thin. These events further burden a system plagued by chronic understaffing, inadequate infrastructure, and scarce resources.
This is no longer just a security concern, it is a public health emergency.
The breakdown of public order undermines:
The continuity of care,
Emergency preparedness, and
The public’s trust in health institutions.
When healthcare workers become targets, it erodes the moral and operational foundations of our entire health system.
Our Call to Action
We demand immediate, coordinated intervention from:
The Ministry of Health,
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration,
Parliament, and
All state agencies tasked with upholding law and order.
The violence must stop.
The safety of healthcare workers must be guaranteed.
Kenya’s fragile health infrastructure must be protected.
If left unaddressed, the consequences will be devastating, not just for health workers, but for every Kenyan who depends on the health system in their hour of need.
