Nurses are set to return to work after the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) called off its 41-day nationwide strike with immediate effect.
The decision was announced on Wednesday, September 9, following a day-long closed-door meeting between the union and the Council of Governors (CoG).
KNUNM secretary general Seth Panyako declared the strike, which began on July 29, officially over and directed nurses to resume their duties.
“By the powers conferred on me by the constitution of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and the constitution of Kenya, I hereby declare that the strike that commenced on the 29th of July 2026 is hereby called off,” Panyako said.
Nurses are expected to resume work immediately or within 24 hours to facilitate the restoration of healthcare services across the country.
The decision brings to an end a strike that had disrupted services in public hospitals for nearly six weeks as nurses pushed for better pay and improved allowances.
The industrial action had affected the delivery of essential healthcare services, with patients in several facilities forced to contend with delays and reduced services.
The nurses had in recent days intensified pressure on the Council of Governors, camping at the CoG offices and vowing to remain there until their grievances were addressed.
The breakthrough came after negotiations over their demands, with CoG chair Ahmed Abdullahi announcing an agreement on increases to two allowances.
Under the proposed deal, nurses will receive an additional Sh8,000 in risk allowance and Sh5,000 in uniform allowance, translating to a combined increase of Sh13,000.
“Through the effort of our health committee, I can report that we finally have a deal if they do not change their mind until when the deal is signed. We offered them an increase in their risk allowance to Sh8,000 and we also offered them an increase of Sh5,000 in uniform allowance,” Abdullahi said during a meeting at State House.
The agreement also averts a potential escalation of the dispute that could have further strained Kenya’s public healthcare system.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) had issued a seven-day ultimatum warning that doctors could join the nurses’ strike if the dispute was not resolved.
KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah said doctors were already overburdened and could not continue taking on nursing duties as a result of staff shortages.
“Doctors are overburdened and cannot do the nursing jobs,” Atellah said on Tuesday.
He warned that the continued absence of nurses was placing additional pressure on doctors and other healthcare workers.
“We will not watch silently as the healthcare system we have dedicated our lives to serving is allowed to deteriorate. When one part of healthcare is compromised, we all suffer. And when we stand together, we protect our patients together,” he said in a post on X.
