Nurses have ended their 43-day strike and will begin returning to work after the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) directed all members to resume duty immediately, and in any case within 24 hours.
KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako announced the end of the industrial action on Wednesday following talks with the Council of Governors aimed at resolving the issues that had kept nurses away from public health facilities since July 29, 2026.
Panyako formally declared the strike over, bringing an end to the prolonged disruption that had affected health services in several parts of the country.
“By the powers conferred to me by the Labour Relations Act, Section 22,the Constitution of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and the Constitution of Kenya Article 41, I hereby declare that the strike that commenced on the 29th of July 2026 is hereby called off,” Panyako said.
He directed all union members to return to work immediately and, in any case, within 24 hours of the declaration.
The decision followed discussions between KNUNM and the Council of Governors as the two sides sought to address the issues that had triggered the strike.
The agreement with the governors will see nurses receive an additional Sh8,000 risk allowance and Sh5,000 uniform allowance, translating to a combined increase of Sh13,000.
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said the offer was reached through efforts by the governors’ health committee and represented a major step towards resolving the dispute.
“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,” Ahmed said.
“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,” he added.
The governors also agreed to review the allowances again in 2027, potentially opening the door for further adjustments.
“We agreed that we will look at these hopefully next year,” Ahmed said.
The strike had been triggered by nurses’ demands for the implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with the union accusing county governments of failing to honour commitments on pay and allowances.
The 43-day strike had raised concerns over access to healthcare, particularly in counties where nurses form a critical part of the public health workforce.
The return of nurses is expected to ease pressure on hospitals and help restore normal services as county governments and health workers implement the outcome of the talks.