Healthcare professional associations have welcomed the calling off of the nurses’ 43-day industrial action following the agreement reached between the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) and the Council of Governors (CoG).

Speaking on behalf of the collective professional bodies on Friday, September 11, National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) President Collins Otieno Ajwang noted that the resolution brings much-needed relief to patients, healthcare workers and the wider public health system.

“We commend the union leadership and county governments for choosing constructive dialogue to break the weeks-long deadlock. Nurses are central to patient care and account for nearly 70 per cent of Kenya’s health workforce. The end of the strike means that care can now be restored for millions of Kenyans who depend on public health facilities,” said Ajwang.

The professional associations noted that while the industrial action highlighted significant workforce and welfare concerns, the focus must now shift towards patient recovery, addressing service backlogs and strengthening health-system resilience.

The professional bodies assured the country that nurses across all 47 counties are returning to their clinical stations with a renewed commitment to restoring health services, particularly in critical areas such as maternal, neonatal, emergency and specialised care.

“The return of nurses to health facilities across the country is an important step towards restoring continuity of care. As professional bodies, our primary concern remains the safety and quality of care. We therefore call on facility managers and health administration teams to support care teams as they work to clear service backlogs, manage patients whose care may have been delayed and stabilise service delivery,” the statement added.

The associations emphasised that the end of the strike should also serve as a turning point for strengthening health workforce governance and planning. They urged both levels of government, including the Council of Governors, to honour the commitments made under the agreement and to prioritise the timely resolution of healthcare workers’ concerns.

They noted that addressing workforce grievances early and through constructive dialogue will be critical to building confidence among healthcare workers, safeguarding continuity of care and reducing the risk of future disruptions that can have serious consequences for patients and the health system, as seen in the disruption to essential services and patient care in recent weeks.

“This agreement should not be viewed as the end of the conversation, but as an opportunity to address the vulnerabilities that contributed to this prolonged disruption. Moving forward, the focus must remain on ensuring predictable health workforce financing, addressing the welfare and terms of healthcare workers serving under UHC programmes, and providing healthcare workers with the resources, support and working environment required to deliver safe and dignified care.”

The professional bodies reiterated their readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Health, Council of Governors, Parliament and other health-sector partners to advance lasting policy reforms and strengthen a healthcare system that keeps patients and quality care at its centre.