Nurses in Nairobi to start strike on Monday

Nurses in Nairobi County are set to paralyse healthcare services following a planned strike starting Monday.The nurses have accused the county leadership of failing to address their long-standing grievances.In a strike notice issued ahead of the industrial action, the union has cited poor working conditions, salary delays, and lack of promotions as key issues the county has remained adamant to address.The union is also demanding employment of more nurses to mitigate acute shortage that continues to affect the smooth delivery of healthcare."This is therefore to communicate to you officially that the strike suspension notice has been lifted and members have been directed to down tools effective April 7, 2025," reads a section of the strike notice.The Deputy Branch Secretary George Ndekao said the union was willing to have its members work, but there seems to be no solution.He asserted that on January 15, 2025, the union signed a return-to-work agreement with the county of Nairobi.Following the agreement, the strike was suspended for at least 30 days to pave way for implementation.But since then, their demands have not been met."Its unfortunate that up to now much of what was agreed with specific timelines has not been achieved," adds the letter.Ndekao added that the union has made several attempts to have the matters amicably solved, but in vain.Additionally, several planned meetings have been postponed at the last minute without clear justification and no alternative date given.Failure to handle the issues, he said, has continued to demoralise nurses."It is demorolising that even after the union made a follow-up on March 26, 2025, the cancelled meeting, the County Public Service Board (CPSB) remained non committal to communicate in writing on when and where the next meeting will take place.""This is a clear indication that some key stakeholders are not ready to engage and hence frustrating the process" regretted the union.He emphasised that the union was the only one that embraced negotiation towards resolving of labour matters for its members but has now been abused.The strike notice is issued one week after doctors under the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) reported back to work after a two-week strike.On Saturday, the union is reported to have held a meeting, and it was resolved to have the strike suspension notice be lifted and seven days be issued effective today.Doctors are also demanding promotions, issuance of comprehensive medical cover and poor working conditions.