Uasin Gishu County Nurses Begin Strike Over Delayed Salaries and Unfulfilled CBA
According to the union, nurses in the county are grappling with four key issues that have remained unaddressed despite repeated appeals and negotiations.
Photo: Courtesy.
By George Misati
Healthcare services in Uasin Gishu County have been paralyzed after members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) – Uasin Gishu County Branch downed their tools on Tuesday, July 29, 2026, to protest unresolved grievances affecting healthcare workers.
The strike was announced by branch officials led by Glen Kevin Kimutai – Chair, Midwives, Bernard Lagat – UHC Representative, and Nancy Chemweno – Branch Trustee, who said the decision was reached after numerous unsuccessful engagements with the County Government.
According to the union, nurses in the county are grappling with four key issues that have remained unaddressed despite repeated appeals and negotiations.
The issues include delayed salary payments, failure by the county to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), delayed promotions, and non-employment of nursing interns.
Speaking during a press briefing in Eldoret, the officials said nurses are working under difficult conditions with little regard for their welfare, a situation they say has affected morale and service delivery.
“Members have endured months of delayed salaries, stalled promotions and unfulfilled promises contained in the CBA. We have engaged the county government in good faith, but our concerns have been ignored,” said Kimutai.
The officials noted that many nurses have gone without timely pay, making it difficult for them to meet their basic needs while continuing to offer essential services to the public. They also decried the failure to promote qualified nurses who have stagnated in one job group for years, despite meeting all requirements.
The union further raised concern over the non-employment of nursing interns, saying it not only denies young professionals an opportunity to gain experience but also worsens the staffing shortage in county health facilities.
“We are committed to serving our people, but our welfare must also be respected. Until these issues are addressed, the strike continues,” the leaders stated in a joint statement.
The strike is expected to affect operations in major health facilities in the county including Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s county wing, Uasin Gishu County Hospital and several sub-county hospitals and dispensaries. Patients seeking outpatient services, maternity care and other critical services have been left stranded.
Residents have now appealed to Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration to urgently intervene and engage the union to restore normalcy in the health sector.
The union has called on the County Government to urgently address the grievances to restore normal healthcare services, warning that the strike will continue until a return-to-work formula is signed and implemented.
Efforts to get a comment from the County Department of Health by the time of going to press were unsuccessful.
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