The country’s public health sector is staring at a potential paralysis after the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to the government, demanding the full implementation of the long-delayed 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Speaking on behalf of the union, Secretary General Seth Panyako expressed deep frustration over what he termed as “years of unfulfilled promises.” Despite continuous engagements with state agencies, the union maintains that nurses have been left disillusioned by the government’s foot-dragging.

The union’s primary grievance centers on the non-payment of salary structures and allowances as guided by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

Panyako was categorical that the union would not accept any “selective or modified” application of these recommendations.

He noted that nurses have endured enough and that after numerous engagements, the time for further delays has passed, leaving full implementation or service withdrawal as the only remaining options.

The current standoff is fueled by a comprehensive list of financial and professional demands that the union insists must be addressed immediately to avoid a total shutdown of services.

Central to these demands is the full payment of negotiated risk, uniform, commuter, and extraneous allowances, alongside the settlement of all outstanding salary arrears.

The union is also pushing for the immediate transition of nurses under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program into permanent and pensionable terms to ensure job security.

Beyond compensation, the strike notice highlights critical workplace issues, calling for improved staffing levels, reliable medical insurance, and safer environments.

Furthermore, the nurses are demanding guaranteed opportunities for training and study leave, as well as the establishment of transparent deployment and transfer guidelines to end the practice of arbitrary postings.

If the government fails to act within the next seven days, nurses in all 47 counties are expected to down tools. Such a move would effectively shut down services in public hospitals and health centers nationwide, leaving millions of Kenyans who rely on these facilities stranded.

The union has extended an olive branch to the Ministry of Health and Council of Governors, urging them to use this seven-day window to resolve the standoff through genuine dialogue.

However, with the clock ticking, the ball remains firmly in the government’s court. As of the time of going to press, neither the Ministry of Health nor the SRC had issued an official response to the strike notice.

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