A deepening leadership dispute has rocked the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) in Trans Nzoia County, compounding an already crippling nurses' strike now in its third week.
A faction led by senior nursing managers has formally petitioned national Secretary General Seth Panyako to dissolve the current county leadership, citing term-limit violations and concerns over the legality of local union representation.
“The current officials have overstayed their term limits. They were elected in 2018 and were supposed to serve only five years,” said Eric Wasilwa, one of the petitioners.
The group is challenging the legitimacy of County Secretary Edward Cheruiyot and Chairman Cyprian Nyakundi, among others who are spearheading the ongoing strike.
The dissenting camp insists the strike lacks legal grounding, claiming that only the union's national office is authorized to negotiate with government authorities.
“Local officials are operating illegally. Only the national office has the mandate to engage in official talks with the county,” argued Rose Wangila, a senior nurse aligned with the opposition team.
At the heart of the industrial action is the stalled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2025–2029. According to Cheruiyot, negotiations have hit a dead end, with the government failing to convene a promised committee to resolve the matter.
“Nurses will not resume duty until the CBA is finalized and registered in court,” he stated firmly.
In addition to the CBA, nurses are raising alarms over a critical staffing shortage. With a rapidly growing population and expanding healthcare demands, the existing workforce is buckling under pressure.
The union is calling for the full implementation of long-standing recommendations made by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
These recommendations include raising the risk allowance from Sh 3,850 to Sh 5,000, gradually increasing the uniform allowance from Sh 10,000 to Sh 25,000 over the next three years, and increasing the Nursing Service Allowance from Sh 20,000 to Sh 30,000.
Nurses are also urging the county to enforce several pending circulars aimed at improving working conditions and ensuring fair treatment.
Compounding the unrest is the county government's alleged failure to remit statutory and non-statutory deductions on time—an issue that has led to financial penalties and strained the trust between nurses and their employer.
As the strike continues with no clear resolution in sight, both internal union divisions and unmet demands are threatening to paralyze healthcare services even further across the county.