Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi Speaking during a church service at Salvation Army, Kithimani corps in Yatta on August 17, 2025. Photo Andrew Mbuva. 
Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has appealed to striking nurses to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving the ongoing stalemate that has crippled health services across the county.
Speaking in Machakos, Dr. Mwangangi pleaded with the health workers to return to the negotiation table, assuring them that the county government was committed to addressing their grievances without delay.
“As a County Government we are ready to sit down and negotiate, so please don’t close the door to dialogue. On our side, we are coming with clean hearts and we only ask that you also be considerate of the current state of our economy,” he said.
The Deputy Governor urged union officials representing nurses, doctors, and clinical officers to prioritize the wellbeing of patients instead of hardening their stance, warning that politicizing the matter would only worsen the situation.
“If we put politics into this issue, it is the citizens who will suffer. Instead, let’s face the matter squarely with diligence for the sake of our suffering patients, because we all share a common goal,” he cautioned.
Mwangangi further emphasized the strategic importance of Machakos County as a metropolitan region bordering Nairobi, noting that improved healthcare services would position the county as a medical hub that benefits from its proximity to the capital.
“Our county is next to Nairobi, and if our healthcare is strong, we stand to benefit greatly from this advantage. That is why we must find a balance that restores sanity to this horrifying situation,” he said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a nurses’ strike that kicked off late last week, paralyzing services at Machakos Level 5 Hospital. The crisis has forced in-patients to be transferred to private facilities, while others unable to afford the costs were taken back home.
Mwangangi reassured the striking health workers that the county would leave no stone unturned in resolving the impasse.
“We are determined as a County to solve this matter and move forward. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that at the center of this crisis are innocent patients whose lives must come first,” he affirmed.
