A city in crisis & patients paying the price: Health services paralysed in Nairobi

A crisis is unfolding in Nairobi with health services in public hospitals paralysed by the ongoing industrial action that has seen all cadres of health workers withdrew their services.

The strike has put Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on the spot over the frequent strikes with healthcare workers accusing his administration of failing to address their welfare.

Patients have had to pay a heavy price due to the recurring and protracted strikes that have become a familiar experience every so often.

Doctors were first to go on strike on December 18, 2025 with clinical officers following suit on December 23, 2025.

To keep services running and save lives during the crisis, hospital administrators opted to engage medics on a locum basis.

However, the cash-strapped administrators soon found themselves between a rock and a hard place as the strike dragged on with many having to make difficult choices such as choosing between buying drugs and other medical commodities for their facilities and paying doctors.

Things got worse this week with nurses and laboratory technicians joining the industrial action and ushering a total shutdown of healthcare services in the county.

All cadres of health workers withdrew the services on the midnight of January 15, 2026, leaving hospitals lacking qualified health professionals.

Public Health Officers who oversee food, water and the safety of industrial products have also downed their tools as the county grapples with a crisis that has placed the lives of millions at risk.

The health workers marched to City Hall on Friday, January 16, 2026 to seek audience with Sakaja.

They cited failure by Sakaja’s administration to implement Return-to-Work-Agreements which are vital for workforce motivation and quality service delivery as the reason for the industrial action.

They want the county government to implement proper workforce structuring and deployment and address what they term incessant salary delays.

The slow response by the county government, led by Governor Johnson Sakaja has left city residents dealing with the aftermath of a system that has failed to meet their expectations, one that is characterized by disruptions at a great cost.

The Nairobi County government slapped the healthcare workers with an ultimatum to resume work within 12 hours and claimed that significant progress made to address their grievances.

According to Nairobi County Government, the strike illegal and any healthcare worker who fails to resume work within the 12 hours will face disciplinary action.

The period has since elapsed with the crisis dragging on and the county government failing to provide a solution.

Across the city, long queues of frustrated patients were reported with minimal to no services as qualified health professionals employed by the county proceeded with the industrial action.