Nurses in Nakuru have stopped providing routine services after the county failed to pay their July salaries, with the health workers also demanding action on long-running employment and welfare concerns.
The industrial action, which began on Thursday, August 20, 2026, has been led by nurses under the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), who say the delayed salaries are only part of the problems they have faced.
The nurses want the county government to fully implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), while also addressing delays in putting career progression guidelines into effect.
KNUN Nakuru chairman Wilson Kurgat questioned the delay in paying healthcare workers despite assurances that county governments had received funds.
“What we heard from the President, he said clearly that all the moneys have been sent to the counties. And now we are wondering, where are the salaries for healthcare workers in Nakuru County?” Kurgat said.
The nurses said they would not resume duty until their concerns are addressed, including agreements reached between the county government and the union.
KNUN Nakuru secretary Rose Master said nurses remained frustrated by the lack of progress on issues affecting their careers and working conditions.
She said the role nurses play in hospitals had not been matched by fair treatment or adequate attention to their concerns.
“Hatuna what we call career guidelines, and we are wondering what is really happening? We believe nurses ndio backbone ya hospitali. Mkikuja hospitali, the first person mnakutana ni nurse. But we are really treated so unfairly,” Master said.
The Nakuru strike is taking place against the backdrop of a wider dispute involving nurses and government authorities over salaries, employment arrangements and commitments made in agreements with the union.
At the national level, KNUN leaders have continued to reject appeals for nurses to return to work, saying the health workers should only resume their duties after outstanding agreements are honoured.
The union is seeking implementation of the 2017 Return-to-Work Agreement, as well as the conclusion and implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
Another demand is the confirmation of nurses employed under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme on permanent and pensionable terms.
Nurses are also calling for the implementation of approved career progression guidelines, with the union saying some of these matters have remained unresolved despite discussions with government agencies over the years.
Strike disrupts access to care
The walkout has affected healthcare services in several counties, with patients reporting delays in receiving treatment and accessing services at public hospitals.
In Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru and other county referral facilities, some patients have had to look for treatment at private hospitals while others have postponed scheduled appointments.
The standoff has once again brought attention to difficulties surrounding the management of health workers under the devolved healthcare system, where county governments and unions have repeatedly differed over pay, employment and staff welfare.
In Nakuru, the nurses say they will remain on strike until the county responds to their demands, including payment of their July salaries and implementation of agreements with KNUN.