Public health services across Tharaka Nithi County were paralyzed on Friday after nurses downed tools, joining a nationwide industrial action to protest the government’s failure to address long-standing labour grievances.
The strike disrupted nursing services in all public health facilities, including dispensaries, health centres and Chuka County Referral Hospital, forcing many patients to seek treatment in private hospitals or neighbouring counties.
Speaking to journalists in Chuka, Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) Tharaka Nithi Branch Secretary Joshua Mwiti said the strike would continue until further notice unless both the national and county governments addressed the union’s demands.
Mwiti said nurses were demanding the signing and implementation of the 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the full implementation of the 2017 Return-to-Work Formula, and the adoption of career progression guidelines, which he said had never been implemented in the county.
He said the union had repeatedly engaged the relevant authorities, but little progress had been made despite several commitments.
According to Mwiti, 98 nurses who qualified for promotion remain in the same job groups despite meeting the required criteria, while nine nurses were left out during a recent recruitment exercise in which 45 others were employed.
The union is demanding that the nine nurses be absorbed into the county workforce and that all eligible staff be promoted without further delay.
Mwiti also called for the payment of outstanding salary arrears arising from Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) advisories, saying prolonged delays had adversely affected the welfare and morale of nurses.
“We are exercising our constitutional right to demand fair labour practices. We will remain on strike until our grievances are addressed and the agreements already reached are fully implemented,” he said.
Tharaka Nithi KNUNM Branch Treasurer Reuben Maingi urged the county government to engage the union through dialogue to resolve the dispute and restore normal healthcare services.
The industrial action left dozens of patients stranded at public health facilities across the county after nursing services ground to a halt.
At Chuka County Referral Hospital, patients seeking treatment were turned away or advised to seek medical attention at private hospitals or health facilities in neighbouring counties where services were still available.
One of the affected patients, Dorothy Makena, said she was disappointed after arriving at the referral hospital only to find that no nursing services were being offered.
“I came to seek treatment, but I have been told there are no nurses on duty because of the strike. I now have to look for treatment elsewhere, which is both difficult and expensive,” she said.
By the time of going to press, Tharaka Nithi County Government had not issued an official statement on the issue.
By Dickson Mwiti and Christine Ngitori
