More Crisis Looms as Nurses Threatens To Join Ongoing Doctors’ Strike, Issue 7-day Strike Notice

Nurses have issued a seven-day strike notice. They have stated that they can no longer trust the government. Photo: KNUN/Seth Panyako

Source: Twitter 

In Kenya, a pressing issue in the healthcare sector has emerged as doctors have refrained from work for over 50 days due to grievances with the government. 

Now, nurses are contemplating joining the strike if their demands are not met.

Represented by the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), nurses have given the government a seven-day ultimatum to address their concerns. 

They are seeking revised contracts and the fulfillment of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017. 

Failure to meet these demands within the stipulated time frame could lead to nurses aligning with the ongoing doctor’s strike.

The decision to issue the strike notice stems from nurses’ dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of healthcare matters. 

They argue that the government has not been transparent in its dealings with healthcare workers, particularly regarding salary adjustments and contract terms.

Moreover, the delay in implementing the 2017 CBA has exacerbated tensions. Nurses deem the current contracts offered by the government as unlawful and unsustainable, prompting them to consider striking.

Simultaneously, doctors remain resolute in their strike despite government efforts to resolve the impasse. 

Their refusal to sign a return-to-work agreement on May 3 has heightened tensions, resulting in some doctors receiving termination notices.

In a show of solidarity, healthcare workers in the United States staged protests in support of their Kenyan counterparts. 

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) maintain that they will not resume work until all grievances are addressed.