Nairobi's governor, Johnson Sakaja, has given medical professionals connected to Nairobi County who are participating in the nationwide medical strike an ultimatum: return to work immediately. 

Speaking to the media on Wednesday night, Nairobi's Governor Sakaja gave medical professionals 12 hours to get back to work, stating unequivocally that he would not permit patient lives to be in danger over matters he believes can be handled gradually. 

The Nairobi Governor continued, saying that since the Ministry of Health's noncompliance with the physicians' 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the national government's inability to post medical interns are unrelated to the county's jurisdiction, the physicians should return to work.


"I have given the doctors of Nairobi 12 hours to show up in our hospitals. Those who want to continue working in the county of Nairobi you have 12 hours to show up in our hospitals because the mandate that I have is to ensure that I provide healthcare to the people of Nairobi," said Sakaja

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The governor urged the Nairobi branch of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to find a different way to show support for the national branch's concerns without sacrificing patient care in Nairobi.

 "I want to implore upon our KMPDU, Nairobi branch that there are different ways to show solidarity with the national branch that has issues with the national government without jeopardising or putting in line the lives of Nairobi, whose government you have no issues worth going to strike on," he said.


The governor announced that his administration will fulfill its constitutional duty to fill those positions and that physicians who have yet to report to work by Thursday morning will be assumed uninterested in working with Nairobi County. 

He emphasized that although he supports doctors' freedom to voice their complaints, he doesn't think it's acceptable for them to go on strike over problems with a different employer when it puts Nairobians' access to healthcare at risk.

"When you look at the main issues, they are not caused by Nairobi and are not the main issues. If my brother from Citizen TV has a problem, you don't have a strike in Nation if the strike is at Citizen TV. We have allowed our doctors to hold a meeting early morning but as their employer, I have implored upon them that you cannot be on strike for issues of another employer," he said.