President William Ruto has urged Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi to swiftly sign an intergovernmental partnership agreement that will allow the county’s hospitals to be equipped with modern medical facilities.

Speaking during a church service in Limuru, Kiambu County, on Sunday, August 10, 2025, President Ruto said the national government is implementing a programme to supply all 47 counties with advanced diagnostic and laboratory equipment, including MRI machines, CT scanners, and other specialized tools.

“What I would like to urge Governor Wamatangi is that we have a programme to equip hospitals in all the 47 counties with MRI, CT scans, and other laboratory equipment. What is required is for a county to have an intergovernmental partnership agreement,” Ruto stated.

He stated that only two counties, among them Kiambu, are yet to sign the agreement. He said the initiative is aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure and ensuring access to specialized diagnostic services across the country.

“Only two counties have not signed the agreement. So, I am urging, for this equipment to reach the hospitals in Kiambu, that we sign that agreement, so we help you equip all the facilities in the county,” the President added.

His remarks come just days after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) called for the immediate closure of 13 public hospitals in Kiambu County over what it termed a deepening healthcare crisis, as a doctors’ strike in the devolved unit entered its 71st day.

In a letter dated August 5, 2025, addressed to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) CEO David Kariuki, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah warned that patient lives were at “imminent risk” due to the absence of qualified consultants in key facilities.

Atellah explained that intern doctors in these hospitals are unable to complete mandatory assessments critical for their training, while newly recruited contract doctors are struggling to operate effectively under the prevailing conditions.

“This has compromised the quality of care and placed the lives of patients at imminent risk,” he said, urging the Health Ministry and KMPDC to take “urgent and decisive” action to safeguard both patient welfare and the standards of medical training.

The 13 hospitals KMPDU wants to shut down include Kiambu Level V, Thika Level V, Gatundu Level V, Tigoni Level IV, Ruiru Level IV, Igegania Level IV, Kihara Level IV, Luseggeti Level IV, Karuri Level IV, Gachororo Level IV, Githunguri Level IV, Wangige Level IV, and Lari Level IV.