Kenya: Ruto, Governors Set for Talks to End Nationwide Nurses' Strike

What the report says

Kenya’s national and county leaders are due to meet on Monday in Nairobi to try to end a nationwide nurses’ strike that has disrupted public healthcare services. According to Capital FM, the talks will involve President William Ruto and governors under the National and County Governments Co-ordination Summit, a forum created to manage relations between the two levels of government.

The dispute has focused mainly on the implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement and the financial burden of carrying it out. Governors have argued that counties are struggling to meet the commitment because of limited resources, while the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives has said the deal is binding and has not been settled with the Council of Governors. Nurses have continued to press for progress as county authorities call for them to return to work while negotiations continue.

The strike has had wide effects on patients in public hospitals, with concerns raised for mothers, newborns and people needing emergency or specialist care. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has urged urgent action, saying the situation has become a public health and human rights issue. Capital FM also reported that the commission cited claims of deaths during the disruption and called for independent verification.

The planned meeting follows earlier health-sector discussions, including an agreement on transitioning thousands of Universal Health Coverage workers to permanent and pensionable terms. More broadly, the talks are expected to address workforce, financing and claims issues that have contributed to repeated labour disputes in Kenya’s health system.