Mathari contract nurses' dispute escalates as union threatens strike

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The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has threatened to issue a strike notice at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital over the continued employment of nearly 100 nurses on renewable three-month contracts, escalating a long-running labour dispute at Kenya's largest specialised mental health referral hospital.

The warning comes days after The Standard highlighted the plight of contract nurses who say they have remained on short-term contracts since 2021 despite working continuously alongside permanent and pensionable staff.

The nurses alleged they earn about Sh30,000 a month, less than half the salary earned by some permanent colleagues performing similar duties, and are excluded from benefits such as housing, commuter and risk allowances. They also claimed they have no job security, no clear career progression and struggle to access healthcare despite statutory deductions.

KNUN Deputy Secretary General Maurice Odhiambo said the union had now formally taken up the matter and would soon issue a strike notice unless the Ministry of Health addressed the nurses' concerns.

"We are issuing a strike notice for Mathari very soon because the government has refused to give Mathari Hospital the full instruments of being a national hospital, so that nurses and all employees can enjoy the benefits, privileges and standards of a national referral hospital," Odhiambo said.

He said the union would stand with the nurses until their grievances are resolved.

"Whatever happens to nurses at Mathari, we shall pursue it as a union until their rights are upheld."

The union's intervention marks the first formal escalation of a dispute that, until now, has largely been pursued through petitions to hospital management, the Mathari Board and the Ministry of Health.

In its investigation, The Standard established that many of the affected nurses have served continuously for more than four years, with contracts renewed every three months. The nurses said the uncertainty has made it difficult to plan their lives, access loans or advance their careers despite working in one of the country's most demanding healthcare environments.

They also told The Standard they perform the same clinical duties as permanent nurses, including administering medication, responding to psychiatric emergencies and caring for patients with severe mental illness, yet receive significantly lower pay and fewer employment benefits.

The dispute now raises fresh questions about staffing at the country's only national referral hospital dedicated to mental healthcare.

Mathari receives referrals from across Kenya and plays a central role in managing patients with severe psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders and other specialised mental health conditions. Any disruption of nursing services could affect patient care at a time when Kenya continues to face a shortage of mental health professionals and increasing demand for mental health services.

The union said the concerns raised by the nurses go beyond individual  contracts and reflect broader issues affecting staff welfare and employment standards at the hospital.

 Odhiambo added that KNUN is also pursuing labour-related grievances affecting nurses in other public referral hospitals, including Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The latest development places renewed pressure on the Ministry of Health and the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital Board to respond to the nurses' demands before the dispute escalates into industrial action.