Nurses in Uasin Gishu county have gone on strike following stalled talks over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the county government.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) announced the strike on Friday, citing concerns over delays in signing a deal agreed in principle several months ago.
“Because our concerns have not been addressed, we have decided to down our tools to be heard,” KNUN branch secretary Klein Kimutai said.
“Once the new CBA is signed, we will return to work.”
Kimutai said most of the CBA’s terms were agreed upon in January, with the final document expected to be signed by March.
However, he said the process has been delayed, prompting the union to take action.
“We issued the mandatory 21-day strike notice, after which we were called back to the negotiating table. However, we could not reach an agreement and resolved to proceed with the strike,” Kimutai said.
The union has instructed its more than 2,200 members across 138 county hospitals to remain on strike until the agreement is finalized.
Separately, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital is engaged in talks with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to prevent a doctors’ strike.
KMPDU issued a 14-day strike notice on July 23, citing concerns over the hospital’s adherence to several agreements, including the full implementation of a Return-to-Work Formula signed after a previous strike. The notice expired on August 6.
“The working environment at the hospital has affected many doctors’ morale,” a union representative said.
The union is seeking full implementation of the Return-to-Work Formula, comprehensive medical insurance, immediate payment of salary arrears, and the conversion of all contract doctors to permanent employment.
