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Nursing Services Paralyzed in Trans Nzoia as Nurses Down Tools

Nursing services in public health facilities across Trans Nzoia County have been severely disrupted due to a strike by nurses.

The strike was triggered by the county government's failure to address several key issues raised by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM), the union representing healthcare workers.

KNUNM Trans Nzoia Secretary, Edward Cheruiyot, stated that despite mediation efforts by the Ministry of Labour, which appointed a conciliator, no resolution had been reached.

“The union has done its part, but the government has failed to avert the strike. The conciliator was appointed, but no meetings have taken place, and no progress has been made,” Cheruiyot said.

At the core of the strike are several unresolved issues. One of the primary concerns is the failure to sign the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the 2025-2029 period.

"Negotiations for the CBA have stalled. The government promised to form a committee to address the matter, but no meetings have been held," Cheruiyot added.

The nurses have emphasized that the CBA must be finalized and registered in court before they will consider returning to work.

Another critical issue is the severe shortage of nurses in public healthcare facilities, especially with the county's growing population and expansion of healthcare services.

“The shortage of nurses is now a crisis. The increasing demand for healthcare services is overwhelming the current workforce, leading to burnout and inadequate care,” said Mr. Stephen Wamae, Vice Chairman of the KNUNM Trans Nzoia Chapter.

The nurses are also demanding that the county government implement recommendations from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which include raising the risk allowance from KSh 3,850 to KSh 5,000, increasing the uniform allowance from Sh 10,000 to Sh 25,000 (phased in over three years), and raising the Nursing Service Allowance from Sh 20,000 to Sh 30,000, as agreed in 2017.

In addition, the nurses are calling for the implementation of further circulars and guidelines to ensure fair treatment.

Finally, the nurses have voiced concerns over the county government’s failure to remit both statutory and non-statutory deductions, which has led to penalties being imposed on them due to delayed payments.

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