The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has called off its nationwide strike after 41 days, paving the way for nurses to resume duty in public health facilities.
The decision was reached on Wednesday, September 9, following a day-long closed-door meeting between KNUNM officials and the Council of Governors (CoG).
KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako announced that the industrial action, which began on July 29, had been terminated with immediate effect.
"By the powers conferred to me by the Constitution of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and the Constitution of Kenya, I hereby declare that the strike that commenced on the 29th of July 2026 is hereby called off," Panyako stated.
The union directed nurses to return to their respective workplaces immediately, with those unable to report at once required to do so within 24 hours.
"I urge the electoral members to resume duty immediately and in any case not later than 24 hours from now," Panyako added.
The move ends a five-week standoff that had significantly disrupted healthcare services in public hospitals across the country.
Nurses had been pushing for improved remuneration and enhanced allowances, among other demands, leading to the prolonged industrial action.
The union's position had intensified earlier in the week when nurses camped at the Council of Governors' offices, declaring that they would remain there until their concerns were addressed.
The stalemate appeared to ease on Tuesday after the CoG announced that it had presented a revised offer to the striking healthcare workers.
CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi revealed that the proposal included an increase in the risk allowance to Ksh8,000 and a Ksh5,000 uniform allowance.
The two adjustments would amount to an additional Ksh13,000 in the proposed allowances for nurses.
"Through the efforts of our health committee, I can report that we finally have a deal, if they do not change their mind until the deal is signed. We offered them an increase in their risk allowance to Ksh8,000, and we also offered them an increase of Ksh5,000 in uniform allowance," Abdullahi announced during a meeting at State House.
The agreement between the union and the governors now clears the way for nurses to return to work and for public health facilities to gradually restore services disrupted during the strike.
The latest development has also helped avert a possible doctors' strike after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a seven-day notice over the nurses' dispute. The union had warned that doctors could also embark on industrial action if the nurses' strike was not resolved.
The doctors' union raised concerns about the prolonged disruption of services in public hospitals and the increased workload shouldered by doctors and other healthcare workers during the nurses' strike.
