Nurses declare strike still on, deny striking a deal with governors

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has declared that a deal has not yet been reached with the Council of Governors (CoG) regarding a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), despite progress in negotiations. On September 1, 2026, KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako stated that the main sticking point is the CBA, and a formal, signed agreement has yet to be concluded. Panyako emphasized that the union has drawn a clear line, insisting that a deal must be formally signed before it is considered complete.

Panyako mentioned that several meetings have taken place between the union and the Council of Governors, led by Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir, who chairs the CoG’s Health Committee. He indicated that progress has been made on two key issues: the status of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff and the development of career guidelines for nurses.

According to Panyako, UHC staff will receive permanent and pensionable appointment letters, and some county governments have already started issuing these letters. Furthermore, the union has agreed to nominate officials to a joint committee with the CoG to review and implement career guidelines developed by the Public Service Commission.

Despite these advancements, Panyako highlighted that the CBA remains unresolved and criticized the CoG for not adhering to an agreement made in 2017. He particularly took aim at the CoG’s chairperson for making political statements suggesting the agreement would be too costly to implement. Panyako dismissed concerns about financial implications, arguing that the amount being discussed for nurses is relatively modest compared to other public-sector worker agreements.

He noted that the union represents approximately 2,000 nurses working in county governments and emphasized the importance of implementing the CBA for these workers.

Panyako warned that if an acceptable agreement is not reached, nurses will continue with their industrial action. He stressed that the ongoing issues cannot be considered fully resolved until a formal agreement is signed between the union and the Council of Governors. He also directed a warning to the Wajir governor, who chairs the CoG, cautioning that the impact of the strike in Wajir County would be unprecedented.

While acknowledging progress on certain issues, Panyako maintained that the union does not regard these developments as a complete resolution of the dispute, insisting that the CBA remains the central issue that must be addressed for the dispute to be considered resolved.