Medical services in public health facilities across Homa Bay County have been disrupted as nurses go on strike over the county government’s failure to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reached with the nurses' union.
Over 800 nurses, represented by the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), began their industrial action on Monday, citing unaddressed grievances by the county administration.
The union’s branch Executive Secretary, Emardic Okeyo, and Chairperson, Amos Ogaga, have insisted that nurses will not return to work until the county government fulfills its commitments under the CBA.
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Speaking at the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital at the onset of the strike, Okeyo highlighted several issues, including the county’s failure to promote eligible union members, pay salary arrears, and remit statutory deductions such as pension contributions, insurance, and loan repayments.
Additional grievances include the county's failure to operationalize the office of the Director of Nursing Services, implement a September 2024 SRC circular on harmonized housing allowances and an 8% increase in basic salaries, and address the acute shortage of nurses in the region’s health facilities.
The striking nurses are demanding immediate action to address these concerns, warning that services will remain paralyzed until their demands are met.
