Health Crisis Looms as Nurses Announce National Strike
On July 7, 2025, Kenya is set to witness a nationwide nurses’ strike following months of unresolved grievances between the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) and government authorities. Union Secretary General, Seth Panyako, confirmed that the 26‑day strike notice issued to both national and county governments remains valid.
The union’s advisory council is scheduled to meet on June 28 to formally ratify the action and mobilize members, who are expected to take three days off duty from June 26–28 to prepare and plan for the strike.
The strike announcement follows a renewed warning issued earlier this year. In late May, KNUNM gave a 26-day warning to begin industrial action on June 24 over long-standing disputes. However, the latest update indicates that the strike has been shifted to July 7 to accommodate ongoing negotiations and the upcoming ratification meeting.
KNUNM’s nine-point demand list outlines critical unresolved issues that prompted the action. These include the failure to convert Universal Health Coverage (UHC) nurses to permanent and pensionable terms, non-implementation of the 2024 Salary Renumeration Commission (SRC) salary structure, delayed return-to-work formula from 2017, lack of finalized Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), unauthorized agency deductions, budget allocation delays for Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, understaffing, lack of pre-authorization for nurse anesthetists, and failure to remit third-party deduction.
Healthcare experts warn that this impending strike may significantly disrupt public health services. A retrospective study of previous strikes in Kenya highlights the severity of potential impacts, recalling the 150-day nurses’ strike in 2017 that resulted in reported delays in essential services and potentially led to patient deaths .
With this in mind, both the government and healthcare stakeholders are under pressure to resolve the impasse quickly, particularly in counties most affected by understaffing and funding shortfalls.
KNUNM has indicated that all nursing officers in charge across various counties should facilitate the leave period and participation. The union also urged clinical officers to join the strike, calling for urgent intervention by the National Treasury to increase funding for healthcare professionals.
As July 7 approaches, the government faces mounting pressure to engage in meaningful dialogue and reach a resolution that addresses these nine points. Healthcare observers caution that failure to avert the strike could exacerbate already strained medical services, while successfully meeting the nurses’ demands could signal broader improvements in public sector negotiations and workforce welfare.
