Kenya Nurses insist planned strike is still on

The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has maintained that its planned nationwide strike, set to begin on July 7th, 2025, is still on.

Union Secretary General Seth Panyako has mobilised members of the National Advisory Council to meet next Friday to ratify the strike notice issued earlier this month to both the county and national governments, citing unresolved grievances.

The union expressed regret that the government has yet to address the nine critical issues outlined in the 26-day notice.

According to the union, nurses have continued to work under precarious conditions, which has created disparities in employment and insecurity with the public health system.

Among the listed demands is the conversion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) nurses to permanent and pensionable.

In the letter, the union requests all Nursing Officers in charge to grant healthcare workers three days off duty from June 26th to 28th, 2025, to enable them to attend the special meeting scheduled for next Friday.

“We have invited the National Advisory Council to a meeting to ratify the Nationwide Strike Notice, which is set to commence on 7th July, 2025. The Members of the Union are hereby requested to continue mobilising in order to ensure 100 per cent participation in the Strike”, Panyako said.

The union has also cited failure to implement the Return to Work Formula agreed upon on November 2, 2017, and accused county governments of neglecting to finalise Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

Additionally, the union is demanding preauthorization for nurse anaesthetists and empanelment of nursing health facilities by the Nursing Council of Kenya.

The union further cited failure by the government to remit third-party deductions also remains unresolved.

The Nine Demands

  1. Failure to Convert UHC Nurses to Permanent and Pensionable Terms Nurses employed under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program
  2. Failure to Implement the New SRC Salary Structure for 2024 contained in SRC circular
  3. Failure to implement Return to Work Formula of 2nd November,2017.
  4. Failure by the County Government to negotiate and conclude CBAs
  5. Illegal deduction of Agency Fee by Kenyatta National Hospital.
  6. Failure by the Ministry of Health to transfer budget and grants to Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital.
  7. Failure to address acute nurse shortage in the public health facilities.
  8. Preauthorization of reuse anesthetists and empanelment of nursing health facilities registered by the Nursing Council of Kenya.
  9. Failure to remit 3rd party deductions.