Nurses and midwives in Kenya have ended their nationwide strike, which lasted more than six weeks. The union announced the end of the action on 9 September 2026 after reaching an agreement with the Council of Governors.
The strike began on 29 July and paralysed the work of public hospitals across the country. Patients faced refusals of admission, and doctors warned of overload and threatened to join the protest.
Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives Seth Panyako said the strike had been ended immediately. He instructed a return to work within 24 hours.
The agreement provides for an increase in the risk allowance from 3850 to 8000 shillings and in the uniform allowance from 10 000 to 15 000 shillings. These changes apply retroactively from July 2025.
In addition, the parties agreed to absorb workers of the universal health coverage programme into permanent positions starting from the 2026/2027 financial year. Within 45 days, a career progression model is to be developed.
None of the strike participants will be subjected to reprisals. The cases of 46 dismissed nurses from Kisii County will be dealt with separately.
The background to the conflict is an unfulfilled 2017 collective bargaining agreement. Negotiations on a new CBA for 2025–2029 dragged on because of budget constraints, according to the authorities.
Whether the government will be able to fulfil all the points within the established deadlines, the near future will show. For now, patients and medical staff are getting a long-awaited respite.
The agreement was the result of intensive negotiations between the union and the Council of Governors. The chairman of the council, Ahmed Abdullahi, confirmed that the deal would make it possible to restore the normal operation of healthcare institutions.
