Healthcare in Crisis: Nurses Strike Rocks Region, Demanding Implementation of Long-Due CBA

Nurses across Kenya, represented by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) and Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), are intensifying their nationwide strike, demanding the full implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The union firmly dismissed claims by the Council of Governors (CoG) that the contested CBA was signed under duress and is financially unsustainable, reiterating that the document is binding and was agreed upon in harmony.

KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako, speaking at a media briefing on September 1, 2026, emphasized that the 2017 CBA remains the core issue of the strike. "The elephant in the room about our strike is CBA. This is where we are drawing a line. We do not have a deal yet," Panyako stated. He accused CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi of intimidating striking nurses and of attempting to renege on an agreement made in 2017, calling the claims of financial unsustainability a "political statement." Panyako also pointed fingers at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for allegedly frustrating the CBA's implementation, announcing plans for nurses to camp at the SRC headquarters on Thursday, September 3, until their grievances are addressed.

Maurice Opetu, KNUNM Deputy Secretary, corroborated Panyako's stance, asserting that no signatory was forced to sign the 2017 CBA. "No gun was appointed on head of any signatory. It was signed in harmony, out of great engagement and agreement," Opetu stated, challenging any claims of duress. He criticized the government for intimidating striking nurses instead of resolving the dispute, arguing that governors have, in fact, made nurses work under duress without the CBA. Opetu further claimed that governors possess the funds to implement the CBA but wish for nurses to "live as paupers."

Joseph Ngwasi, KNUNM National Chairperson, revealed that an estimated Sh5.9 billion is required for the full implementation of the CBA. He expressed concern over the perceived lack of urgency in handling the nurses' issue, questioning why the CBA dispute continues to drag on. The union has vowed to escalate their actions, with Panyako threatening to close all operating hospitals in Wajir and Mandera counties until the governors feel the impact of their demands.

Despite the deadlock on the 2017 CBA, some progress has been noted in other areas. Panyako confirmed that governors have agreed to issue permanent and pensionable letters to healthcare workers recruited under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme, with this process commencing within the week. Additionally, an agreement has been reached with CoG to establish a committee dedicated to reviewing career progression guidelines for nurses, with KNUN nominating its representatives to localize these guidelines. However, Panyako unequivocally stated that these advancements regarding UHC workers and career guidelines would not lead to the cessation of the strike without a definitive agreement on the 2017 CBA.