The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has notified all 697 medical interns assigned to healthcare facilities in Kiambu County to collect their redeployment letters from the Ministry of Health.
In a statement on Sunday, the interns were asked to pick their letters, starting on Monday, 9am.
This follows a stalemate between the county government and the medics that has resulted in over four months of strike, leaving the interns unable to start their programmes.
"Following the letter from the Ministry of Health (MOH) dated August 26th, 2025, indicating that you will be redeployed to different stations in the country by September 15, 2025, if the Kiambu strike is not resolved, we would like to communicate that the letters for transfer to other stations are ready," the statement read in part.
"All interns currently in Kiambu County are therefore required to collect the redeployment letters from the MoH effective tomorrow, September 29, 2025, from 9am."
An August 26 letter addressed to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi had informed him that the interns would be deployed to other stations if he had not yet ended the doctors' industrial action by September 15.
As such, the KMPDU took action as warned, asserting that there was an urgent need to protect the sanctity of the internship and it should not be affected by prolonged county strikes, especially one with no end in sight.
"Therefore, failure to collect the redeployment letter and move will be deemed as abscondment of your internship duty by the MoH," the union told interns.
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.
Since the internships began on July 1, barely two months into the strike, the interns have missed over two months of training, which is crucial to their academic schedule.
"This prolonged delay has caused considerable concern among the affected interns, particularly given that their counterparts deployed to other counties have already commenced training," the Ministry told Kiambu Governor last month.
Wamatangi has remained resolute on the matter, standing his ground despite the mounting pressure, rejecting all calls to pay doctors on strike. He insisted in July that he would only pay doctors if they returned to work.
Kiambu is far from the only county with a push and pull between doctors and governors, however, a new agreement between the national government, the devolved units and KMPDU is hoping to end the constant wrangles.
