The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has suspended its planned strike following productive consultations with the government over healthcare workers' welfare.
In a statement released on Thursday, August 28, the union's General Secretary, Seth Panyako, announced the decision to call off the industrial action that was set to commence on August 29, 2025.
“As a result of the various consultative meetings and ongoing mechanisms of addressing the same, we hereby call off the said strike effective the date of this letter," Panyako stated.
The union directed all nurses currently on strike to return to their duty stations immediately, with a deadline of no later than August 29, 2025.
"We hope to resolve any disciplinary issues with you emanating from the said strike," the statement noted.
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Panyako emphasized the union's continued commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving healthcare delivery across the country.
"We further pledge our continued support geared towards alleviation of the myriad challenges facing the management of UHC nursing personnel in the country, who are meant to aid in providing all citizens with quality healthcare services to align with vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goal of good health and well-being for all," he said.
The General Secretary acknowledged the collaborative efforts between the union and the Ministry of Health in addressing various personnel-related matters affecting healthcare workers.
The strike suspension follows ongoing discussions about converting Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff to permanent and pensionable terms.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives had previously issued strong statements condemning recent utterances by the Council of Governors, particularly those disagreeing with the Ministry of Health's decision on converting temporary health workers' contracts to permanent positions.
In recent position statements, KNUNM had expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Health's leadership, specifically recognizing Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for initiating the conversion of UHC contracts to permanent and pensionable terms.
Progress made in recent negotiations included requisite budgetary allocation for converting UHC staff to permanent positions, verification of staff undertaken jointly with the Council of Governors to ensure credible workforce data, and successful elimination of ghost workers and unqualified personnel.
