Dozens of nurses dressed in white and carrying placards took to the streets of Nairobi to protest what they described as the government’s failure to resolve long-standing labour grievances.
The demonstration came as a nationwide nurses’ strike entered its 37th day, with public health facilities across Kenya reportedly facing significant disruptions.
Seth Panayko, Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses, said the union had been engaged in a prolonged dispute involving the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the Council of Governors over its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“For many years, since 2017 up to now, we have had a push and pull between SRC, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, and the Council of Governors,” Panayko said.
He said the nurses had gone to the SRC to seek clarification and demand that the commission issue a letter of no objection to facilitate the implementation of their CBA.
The prolonged strike has raised concerns among health professionals over its impact on patients and the country’s already strained healthcare system.
Collins Otieno Ajwang, president of Kenya’s National Nurses Association, said the strike had entered its 37th day, with public hospitals and other health facilities severely affected.
“Our concern as fellow health professionals is what this continuing delay is now costing patients and the healthcare system,” Ajwang said.
Joseph Chebii, Secretary-General of the Clinical Officers Association, also called for urgent intervention by all parties to prevent further loss of lives.
“It is time now that we are seeing mortalities rising among our mothers and other citizens of this country that can be avoided. If we continue delaying, we will have many more losses,” Chebii said.
He urged the unions, SRC, national government, county governments and other stakeholders to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement.
The dispute between the nurses’ union and the Council of Governors has remained unresolved, prompting the nurses to intensify street protests alongside their ongoing industrial action.
The protesters are demanding an end to the deadlock and a resolution of the issues contained in their collective bargaining agreement, as concerns mount over the continued disruption of healthcare services across Kenya.
