A nationwide health service disruption has begun after the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) ordered nurses and midwives in all 47 counties to down their tools over unresolved labour disputes, saying they will not return to work until their demands are addressed.
The union announced a complete withdrawal of nursing and midwifery services in county public health facilities, accusing the Council of Governors and other government agencies of failing to resolve issues that have remained pending for years.
Announcing the industrial action, KNUNM said there would be a “total lockdown across 47 county governments” as nurses and midwives withdrew their services in public health facilities.
“The nurses and midwives nationwide strike is on,” the union said, adding that the action would continue “until Council of Governors meet our demands.”
Before the strike began, the union had already served a strike notice to the Ministry of Health, the Council of Governors, the Public Service Commission, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Ministry of Public Service, the Ministry of Labour and all 47 county governments.
KNUNM said it appreciated the efforts made by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and other stakeholders to secure Sh8.6 billion for the absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers. However, it maintained that several concerns affecting nurses and midwives across the country had not been resolved.
Among the union’s key demands is the conclusion of the centralized 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), implementation of the November 2017 Return-to-Work Agreement, permanent and pensionable employment for UHC workers, implementation of approved nursing career guidelines and the reinstatement of 46 nurses dismissed by Kisii County in 2021.
The union is also pushing for action to address the shortage of nurses in public health facilities, saying the current staffing levels have left nurses and midwives working under difficult conditions that continue to affect healthcare services.
KNUNM General Secretary Seth Panyako directed all union branches across the country to mobilise members for the industrial action, saying the strike would continue for as long as their grievances remain unresolved.
“As General Secretary, I am directing all our branch officials across the country to begin the full-scale mobilization of our members. Every nurse and midwife within County Public Health Facilities must prepare for a prolonged industrial action if the concerned parties choose to remain silent,” Panyako said.
The strike is expected to interrupt services in county public health facilities across the country as nurses and midwives press for the implementation of their demands.