NAIROBI, Kenya — Nurses have called off their nationwide strike after 43 days following a breakthrough in negotiations with the Council of Governors (CoG).
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) Secretary-General Seth Panyako officially announced the end of the industrial action on Wednesday, September 9, after what he described as progressive discussions between the union and county governments.
The union said agreements had been reached on several key issues raised by the nurses, including the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) within 45 days.
“We have finally called off the 43-day strike following a breakthrough in negotiations with the Council of Governors.
“We therefore call upon all our members to resume duty within the next 25 hours as we give room for the implementation of the agreements reached,” Panyako stated.
Nurses to receive higher risk and uniform allowances
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said the negotiations had resulted in an agreement on improved allowances for nurses.
According to Abdullahi, the nurses’ risk allowance will increase from Sh3,850 to Sh8,000.
Nurses will also receive a Sh5,000 uniform allowance.
“Through the efforts of our health committee, I can report that we finally have a deal, provided they do not change their mind until the deal is signed. We offered them an increase in their risk allowance to Ksh8,000, and we also offered them an increase of Sh5,000 in uniform allowance,” Abdullahi said during a meeting at State House.
The agreement marked a breakthrough in efforts to end the strike, which had disrupted services in public health facilities across the country for more than six weeks.
CBA implementation set for 45 days
One of the key agreements reached between KNUNM and the Council of Governors concerns the implementation of the nurses’ Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The union said the CBA is expected to be implemented within 45 days under the agreements reached during the negotiations.
The implementation of previous agreements and the 2017 return-to-work formula had been among the major issues at the centre of the prolonged industrial action.
Panyako had earlier said the union was willing to negotiate and make concessions but maintained that the nurses required commitments that could be implemented rather than fresh promises.
UHC staff to be absorbed by counties
The union also announced that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff will be absorbed into county governments’ workforce.
The status and employment terms of UHC health workers had been among the grievances raised during the strike.
Their absorption into county employment is expected to address concerns over the terms and conditions of staff who have been providing health services under the UHC programme.
Nurses ordered to resume duty
Following the agreement, KNUNM directed its members across the country to return to work within the next 25 hours.
The end of the 43-day strike is expected to ease pressure on public hospitals, where the absence of nurses had disrupted the provision of healthcare services.
The prolonged strike had left doctors and other healthcare workers under increased pressure as hospitals struggled to maintain normal services.
Doctors had threatened to join strike
The announcement came a day after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) threatened industrial action if the nurses’ dispute was not resolved.
KMPDU Secretary-General Davji Atellah said the prolonged strike had left doctors overwhelmed, with some forced to take on responsibilities traditionally performed by nurses while continuing to provide medical care to patients.
Atellah said the absence of nurses had limited access to nursing care in many hospitals and had contributed to serious challenges in the delivery of healthcare services.
