KNH Nurses Call Off Strike After Deal With Government
Health Updated: 14 April 2026 21:23 EAT
Nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital have agreed terms to resume work
Nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital have called off their strike after reaching a return-to-work agreement with the government, bringing relief to patients following days of disrupted services at the country’s largest referral facility.
The breakthrough was confirmed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who said a return-to-work formula had been agreed upon between the nurses’ representatives and the Ministry of Health, paving the way for the immediate resumption of normal operations.
The industrial action, which began earlier this week, had paralysed critical services at the hospital, with inpatient care, outpatient clinics and emergency services significantly affected as nurses withdrew their labour.
At the height of the strike, patients were left stranded across multiple departments, underscoring the central role the hospital plays in handling complex referrals from across the country.
The nurses had raised concerns over delayed remittance of statutory deductions, unresolved pension issues, staffing shortages and poor working conditions, some of which they said had persisted for years without resolution.
A key point of contention in the dispute was the failure to fully implement a previous return-to-work agreement, which covered salary adjustments, allowances and improved staffing levels.
Hospital management had maintained that salaries had been paid up to date but acknowledged delays in remitting deductions, attributing the situation to broader financing challenges in the health sector.
Following negotiations, both parties agreed on a framework outlining how the outstanding issues would be addressed, leading to the signing of the return-to-work formula and the decision by nurses to resume duty.
The end of the strike is expected to restore full services at the facility, which had been operating under pressure using contingency measures to maintain essential care.
Attention now shifts to the implementation of the agreed terms, with stakeholders keenly watching whether the commitments made will hold and prevent future disruptions in the public health sector.
Tags: 6G Edit Editor's Pick Editors choice Factual data Get facts Health Health Ministry Kenyatta National Hospital Knh Ministry Of Health Reliable facts Signs Signs Media Signs Tv Signsmedia Signstv SignsTV Signstvkenya
Share this article
FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD