Kenya: Prolonged Nurses Strike Exerts Pressure On Public Healthcare

What the report says

A prolonged nurses’ strike is continuing to strain Kenya’s public healthcare system, with hospitals and other facilities reporting disruption to essential services, according to Capital FM’s report distributed by AllAfrica. The dispute was highlighted by demonstrations in Nairobi, where hundreds of nurses pressed the national government and county authorities to meet long-standing labour commitments.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives says members will remain off duty until outstanding issues are addressed. The union is seeking implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, payment of salary arrears, better allowances, and clearer career progression for nurses. Union officials say talks with the government have continued, but they want any deal to be formally signed and carried out rather than left as promises.

The disagreement has also raised broader questions about staffing and working conditions in Kenya’s health sector. The union argues that delayed promotions, re-designations and other administrative bottlenecks have affected morale and kept some qualified nurses in the same posts for years. It says poor staffing levels make it harder to deliver safe and consistent care, even as patient demand remains high.

The Council of Governors has challenged the union’s account of the 2017 agreement, while discussions have also touched on the absorption of universal health coverage workers into permanent employment. The standoff matters because it affects access to public health services in Nairobi and across the country, at a time when Kenya’s health system is already under pressure.