Nurses are set to end their five-week nationwide strike after the Council of Governors (CoG) reached a proposed agreement with their union, paving the way for the resumption of services in public health facilities.
The deal includes an increase of Ksh8,000 in risk allowance and Ksh5,000 in uniform allowance, giving nurses a combined proposed increase of Ksh13,000 across the two allowances.
Speaking during the National and County Government Co-ordinating Summit at State House in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 8, CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said the agreement had been reached following negotiations led by the council’s health committee.
“Through the effort of our health committee, I can report that we finally have a deal,” Abdullahi said.
He said the proposed agreement would raise the nurses’ risk allowance by Ksh8,000 and their uniform allowance by Ksh5,000.
The CoG also agreed to review the allowances again in 2027, with Abdullahi expressing hope that the deal would be formally signed and nurses would return to work.
The signing ceremony was expected to take place after the summit, potentially bringing an end to the prolonged industrial action that has disrupted services in public hospitals across the country.
The development came a day after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a seven-day notice demanding a resolution to the nurses’ dispute.
The doctors’ union warned that its members could also consider industrial action if the nurses’ grievances remained unresolved, citing concerns over the strain placed on doctors and other health workers during the strike.
Nurses had spent the week camping at the CoG offices as they pressed the Government to address their demands, insisting that they would not return to work without a signed agreement.
Among their key demands was the implementation of the 2017 Return-to-Work Agreement, including improvements to allowances and working conditions.
They also demanded the conclusion and implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), permanent and pensionable employment for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, career progression and promotions, and improved remuneration.
The nurses further called for the reinstatement of 46 nurses dismissed by Kisii County.
If formally signed and implemented, the latest agreement could pave the way for nurses to return to public hospitals and restore essential healthcare services after weeks of disruption.
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