Back to the wards: Nurses end strike as county bows to pressure
Nurses and midwives in Elgeyo Marakwet called off their strike on Friday, August 15, 2025, after county and union representatives signed a return-to-work formula agreement aimed at improving their terms of service.
They had gone on strike protesting the non-implementation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the confirmation of all nurses, including those under Universal Health Coverage UHC and on internship.
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The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) Elgeyo Marakwet branch Secretary General Benson Biwott, on August 12, 2025, said they were joining their colleagues nationally in calling on the national government through the Ministry of Health to issue employment letters to all nurses under UHC.
They are also calling on the county government to absorb all nurses hired on internship, saying the county was having an acute shortage of nurses, which had led to the serving nurses being overworked, thus affecting the delivery of services to residents.
“While many nurses have exited the service, the County Public Service Board (CPSB) is yet to replace them, thus overstretching the remaining workforce,” he said.
Biwott added that nurses who have been offering specialised care in renal, ICU and the eye clinic should all be promoted; failure to do so will result in their suspension of services to the clinics.
The secretary general accused the county government of contravening the labour laws, saying nurses who were hired as casuals to work at the Iten County Referral Hospital are yet to be confirmed, despite being on duty since February this year.
“According to the labour laws, one can only work as a casual for three months. Our nurses have been working as casuals since February, so it’s only fair that they are confirmed in employment,” he said.
He added that the nurses who are fully qualified have been going through tough times, as the last time they were paid was in April and called on the county government to pay their arrears.
Biwott said in their return-to-work formula last year, the nurses had agreed with the CPSB that it would follow the nursing guidelines and create a position for a director of nursing services, which has yet to be honoured.
They also called on the county government to sign the new 2025/2029 CBA and deposit it with the court.
The SG said they will not call off the strike until all their demands are met, adding that the strike had been called by the national officials and therefore county officials have no power to call it off.
