By Daniel Otieno, Kakamega
The nurses and midwives of Kakamega County have decided to suspend their national strike, which had been scheduled to begin on Monday next week.
This decision follows a series of productive discussions with county leadership and the successful resolution of key issues related to the welfare of the medics.
The national strike, initially called on December 18, 2024, by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUN), aimed to address several grievances including unpaid salaries and poor working conditions.
However, after a crucial meeting held on January 8, 2025, with the top county leadership, the Kakamega branch of the union reached an agreement that would avert the planned demonstrations.
Eliud Molenje, the branch secretary for KNUN Kakamega, confirmed that the meeting had yielded significant improvements for the nurses.
Among the key outcomes, the county government has committed to paying the nurses’ withheld salaries for December 2024 and January 2025 in full by January 31, 2025. In addition, the county government has agreed to resume negotiations for the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the County Public Service Board starting February 14, 2025, after presenting the national signed CBA draft.
“The County Public Service Board will also initiate suitability interviews for promotions and redesignations starting January 13, 2025,” said Molenje, highlighting another significant win for the nurses. Additionally, the Kakamega County Government, through Jubilee Insurance, has procured a comprehensive medical scheme for all county workers.
Molenje also noted that the county government has made significant strides in addressing staffing shortages in the healthcare sector.
In December 2024, seven new nurses were recruited, and an additional 84 nurse positions have been advertised, with interviews set to follow.
The county government has also committed to engaging the National Treasury to lift the ban on the implementation of the second phase of the SRC salary structure for 2024. Furthermore, Kakamega County has promised to absorb UHC nurses into the workforce as part of the staff replacement process in the coming year.
While the strike has been suspended, the union emphasized that it is not fully called off and will only be terminated once the full implications of these agreements are realized. The county government has assured the union that all ten of their demands, including addressing the issues of salary disbursement and adequate staffing, will be met within the next 28 days.
Lawrence Omuhaka, the Kakamega County Secretary, assured the public that the county would fulfill all its commitments within the stipulated time frame. “Within 28 days, we shall have addressed all the nurses’ demands. Let all who need medical attention come and seek medication, we have sufficient medicine, and the hospital will remain operational,” he stated.
Henry Adolwa, the Chief Trustee of the Kenya National Union of Nurses, commended the Kakamega government for its proactive approach in resolving the issues.
Adolwa urged the entire county to embrace dialogue as a means of ensuring that healthcare services remain fully operational and accessible to the public.
