By Hilda Atika
Following the strike notice issued on December 18, 2024, by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) over nurses’ welfare concerns, the Kakamega County Nurses Union leadership held a critical meeting with the County top leadership on January 8, 2025, at the County Chambers. The union leadership later engaged its members on January 9, 2025, at the County General Hospital.
Led by the Kakamega County Branch Secretary of KNUNM, Eliud Molenje, alongside National Trustee Henry Alolwa and other branch officials, the union reached several agreements with the County Government:
- Salary Payment: Withheld salaries for December 2020 and January 2021, following an industrial action, will be paid in full by January 31, 2025, to all affected nurses.
- CBA Negotiations: The branch office will initiate the resumption of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations with the County Public Service Board (CPSB) starting February 14, 2025.
- Medical Scheme: A comprehensive medical scheme, provided by Jubilee Insurance, has been procured for all nurses in the county.
- Statutory Deductions: Remittances for statutory deductions have been completed up to November 2024, with December remittances pending disbursement from the National Treasury.
- Staffing Challenges: In December 2024, 37 nurses were recruited, and 84 additional positions have been advertised, with shortlisting for interviews underway.
- Salary Structure: The County Government is engaging with the National Treasury to lift the ban and honour the SRC salary structure’s 2024 Phase 2 implementation.
- UHC Nurse Absorption: The County Government has committed to absorbing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) nurses to replace staff who have exited this year.
The union leadership lauded the County Government, under Governor H.E. FCPA Fernandes Barasa, for their swift intervention, which averted the nurses’ strike in Kakamega County.
“Having informed the National Office KNUNM about these new developments, we, the Kakamega County KNUNM Branch Officials, call upon our nurses not to participate in the Monday nationwide nurses’ strike. Instead, we urge them to continue serving the people of Kakamega County and all our clients,” said the union’s statement.
Branch Secretary Alolwa clarified that while the strike has been postponed, it has not been called off. “The strike was called at the national level, but each county has its unique challenges. We agreed on the issues outlined in the strike notice and, with the blessings of the national office, decided to suspend the strike to give the County Government time to address the raised concerns,” he explained.
Officials acknowledged the governor’s delegated leadership team, including County Secretary Dr. Lawrence Omuhaka and CECM for Public Service and Administration Dr. Bonface Okoth, for their cooperation during discussions.
The union emphasized that the discussions were fruitful, leading to an agreement to suspend the strike temporarily while awaiting the full implementation of their demands.
