KNUNM ends 43-day strike by nurses after striking deal with Governors - details

The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has officially ended its 41-day nationwide strike following a day-long closed-door meeting with the Council of Governors (CoG)

Announcing the decision with immediate effect, KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako while speaking on Wednesday, September 9 directed all union members to report back to duty within 24 hours to restore critical health services in public hospitals nationwide.  

The strike had affected public health facilities and began on July 29, 2026.

"The powers conferred to me by the Electoral Commission Act Section 2, the Constitution of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and the Constitution of Kenya Act Compact 1, I hereby declare that the strike that commenced on the 29th of July 2026 is hereby called off and I urge the electoral members to resume duty immediately and in any case not later than 24 hours from now," Panyako stated.

The resolution comes after weeks of severe disruption across public healthcare facilities, during which nurses staged persistent protests, including camping at the CoG headquarters.

The breakthrough was achieved when CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi confirmed a new financial offer granting nurses a fresh Sh8,000 in risk allowance from Sh3,850 and Sh5,000 in uniform allowance—a total allowance boost of Sh13,000.

Governor Abdullahi further said the CBA will be implemented within 45 days, and UHC staff will be absorbed

The deal also resolves growing tensions within the broader medical sector, effectively averting a sympathetic strike by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

KMPDU had issued a seven-day ultimatum, warning of doctors' industrial action over the mounting workloads and compounding strain on public health facilities during the nurses' absence.

The 43-day strike had raised concerns over access to healthcare, particularly in counties where nurses form a critical part of the public health workforce.

The return of nurses is expected to ease pressure on hospitals and help restore normal services as county governments and health workers implement the outcome of the talks.

Panyako had earlier accused county governments of blocking the implementation of the 2017 CBA.

Speaking in a media interview on Wednesday, he said the agreement had been ready for implementation in 18 counties before the CoG moved to stop the process, leaving nurses’ grievances unresolved for years.

Panyako further said several issues that had fueled the dispute had since been addressed.

Among them is the absorption of Universal Health Coverage staff into permanent and pensionable employment, which he said was largely resolved after President William Ruto committed to addressing the matter.

The KNUNM Secretary General also said the union and CoG had reached a tentative understanding on career guidelines and were expected to establish a joint team to adapt Public Service Commission guidelines for use by county governments.

“The main elephant in the house has been the collective bargaining agreement, which emanates from the return-to-work formula of 2017,” Panyako said.

According to the KNUNM boss, 18 of the 47 counties had been prepared to implement the agreement, with Mombasa becoming the first county to begin making payments before the process was stopped through court action.

“When they started paying, SRC and COG again conspired and went to court. They obtained orders saying the payment should stop until we agree, so that everybody can pay at once,” Panyako added.

At the same time, he said subsequent negotiations had repeatedly broken down, blaming county governments for failing to show the political will needed to settle the matter.