Nairobi: The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) says it is ready to engage authorities in constructive dialogue to resolve the ongoing nationwide nurses’ strike. However, the union maintains that the industrial action, triggered by delayed promotions, unremitted statutory deductions, and demands for permanent contracts for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, will continue until key agreements are implemented.
According to Kenya News Agency, the nationwide strike, which began on July 29, 2026, centers on the non-implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), delayed implementation of county-level return-to-work agreements, and the permanent absorption of UHC staff. KNUN has vowed to continue with the strike, contending that the national and county governments have failed to implement the return-to-work formula agreed upon in 2017.
KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako stated that the union remains committed to constructive dialogue and finding lasting solutions that safeguard the welfare of healthcare workers while strengthening healthcare service delivery across the country. Panyako spoke after holding a high-level consultative meeting with Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, who is also the Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG) Committee on Health.
He emphasized that nurses would not return to work until the government honors agreements reached with the union in 2017. Panyako clarified that the strike was not about Mombasa County but was purely a national issue. He acknowledged that Mombasa County had complied with the requirements by recruiting contract nurses to maintain normal hospital operations, while KNUN’s focus remained on addressing national concerns affecting nurses and midwives.
Panyako said the industrial action revolved around welfare and employment issues, maintaining that the dispute was with the employer and was not intended to harm patients. He described the meeting as a major step towards resolving the nationwide nurses’ and midwives’ strike, which has disrupted services in public health facilities.
Panyako reaffirmed their commitment to multi-level diplomacy and the pursuit of structured engagements at both the county and national levels to address labor grievances and restore normalcy in health facilities. He noted that KNUN had given the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) a seven-day ultimatum, expiring later this month, to issue letters of no objection and sign pending CBAs. He warned that failure to resolve the issues could see the union escalate the strike to national referral hospitals.
He mentioned that KNUN officials had held similar lengthy and strategic discussions with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, CoG Chairperson for Human Resources, Labour and Welfare, and Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, who chairs the CoG Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Committee. Panyako emphasized that the direct involvement of the two governors was vital due to Governor Wanga’s oversight of human resource policies, CBAs, and welfare frameworks for county employees across the 47 devolved units, and Governor Sang’s role in unlocking external financing, partnerships, and budgetary allocations needed to meet the union’s demands.
The union signed the return-to-work formula in November 2017 to end a 150-day nationwide strike. Panyako said failure to implement core components of the agreement remains a major source of frustration among nurses and midwives. He stated that the consultations aimed to bring all relevant actors to the negotiating table and ensure commitments made to health workers are honored. He appealed to government agencies and county administrations to approach the matter with urgency and avoid further disruption of essential healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable patients in public hospitals.
Governor Nassir noted that devolved governments were committed to sustained engagements within the law to secure a fair and sustainable resolution to the industrial action. He urged health workers to end the crippling strike and give dialogue a chance.
The prolonged nurses’ and health workers’ strike has disrupted public health services in several counties, with reports of deserted hospital wards, patient discharges, and congestion at major health facilities.
