Operations at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) are set to be disrupted from Monday after nurses announced a strike citing delayed salaries, unremitted statutory deductions and unresolved pension claims.
The industrial action, called by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, threatens to cripple services at the country’s largest referral facility.
Union Secretary General Seth Panyako, who addressed the media in Kisumu on Sunday, said the decision followed years of frustration among nurses over persistent financial challenges at the hospital.
Panyako revealed that some nurses have been on casual status for between four and six years, attributing the situation to inadequate funding at the facility.
He further claimed that statutory deductions and loan repayments are not being remitted, exposing nurses to financial distress.
Panyako also raised concerns over delayed pension payments, noting that retired nurses have not received their benefits.
“Nurses and other health workers in Kenyatta are not getting their pensions upon retirement,” he said, adding that he is among those yet to be paid despite leaving service.
While distancing the hospital’s management from the crisis, Panyako pointed to systemic funding challenges, including changes in revenue collection.
He criticised the centralisation of payments through the government’s e-Citizen platform, arguing that funds collected do not flow back to the hospital in time to support operations.
“How do they expect the hospital to serve patients, buy medicine or even feed patients when the money does not come back to the facility?” he posed.
The union also decried disparities in remuneration, accusing the hospital of hiring new staff at higher pay than long-serving nurses.
Panyako warned that the strike would proceed as planned, stressing that nurses would not return to work until their grievances are addressed.
“There will be no work in Kenyatta National Hospital. Enough is enough,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
