The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has issued a 21-day strike notice to Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), warning that nurses and midwives will down tools on November 9 if management fails to resolve their grievances.
In a letter dated October 13, 2026, union Secretary General Seth Panyako said the planned strike followed repeated attempts to engage hospital management over outstanding employment and remuneration issues.
“Despite several attempts by the Union to engage your office and resolve these matters amicably, no meaningful response or resolution has been forthcoming. The concerns remained deliberately ignored and unresolved," read the notice.
The union cited delayed promotions to permanent and pensionable terms, common-cadre alignment and salary arrears, unpaid gratuity and the failure to finalise and sign a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Other grievances include the review and standardisation of locum rates, recognition of higher academic and professional qualifications, formalisation of working hours and public holiday compensation.
KNUNM is also demanding that nurses on locum contracts be converted to permanent and pensionable terms.
The union warned that nurses and midwives would withdraw their labour from 12.01 am on November 9 if the issues were not addressed within the notice period.
However, it said it would maintain continuity of services during the strike, with no new admissions.
Panyako also instructed branch officials to mobilise members to participate in the planned industrial action.
The notice comes weeks after KNUNM called off a 43-day nationwide nurses’ strike, from July 29 to September 9, 2026, following a return-to-work agreement with the Council of Governors.
The deal provided a 45-day window for further negotiations on the implementation of the nurses’ collective bargaining agreement.