Kenya’s nurses have called off a 43-day strike after the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) signed a Return to Work Formula with the Council of Governors, ending a standoff that had disrupted services in public hospitals nationwide.
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi announced the agreement at a press briefing on Wednesday, September 9, following talks between the COG and the union.
“We know nurses have been on strike for 43 days. It was because of the non implementation of the 2017 CBA. We now have a RTWF,” Abdullahi said.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (@KNUNOFFICIAL ) has officially called off the nationwide strike, which lasted 41 days. pic.twitter.com/37FtBA4sDA
— Council of Governors (@KenyaGovernors) September 9, 2026
What Triggered the Strike
The nurses walked out on July 29 over the non implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which had itself ended a six month strike nearly a decade ago. The union raised three core grievances during the latest dispute: the stalled CBA, the exclusion of Universal Health Coverage staff from permanent and pensionable terms, and Kisii County’s refusal to reinstate nurses dismissed from duty.
The strike paralysed healthcare services across counties as nurses camped outside the Council of Governors’ offices in Nairobi demanding better allowances and implementation of the outstanding agreement.
Terms of the Deal
Under the new formula, UHC staff will move to permanent and pensionable employment at Salaries and Remuneration Commission rates from July 1, 2026. Counties agreed to the absorption on condition that gratuity provisions in the workers’ contracts are removed, reducing total compensation to regular salary and benefits.
The Council of Governors also committed to coordinating career progression guidelines within 45 days, with nurses required to resume duty within 25 hours of the formula’s execution.
The agreement follows an offer county governments tabled on Tuesday, which raised the risk allowance to Sh8,000 and added Sh5,000 to the uniform allowance.
| Return to Work Formula: Key Terms |
|---|
| UHC staff moved to permanent and pensionable terms from July 1, 2026, at SRC rates |
| Gratuity removed from UHC contracts in exchange for absorption |
| Career progression guidelines to be coordinated within 45 days |
| Nurses to resume duty within 25 hours of execution |
| Risk allowance raised to Sh8,000 |
| Uniform allowance increased by Sh5,000 |
| 45 days allocated to conclude negotiations on the 2017 CBA |
Reactions From Both Sides
COG Health Committee chair and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir welcomed the deal, pointing to the wider public cost of the standoff.
“When a strike occurs, those affected are not the ones involved in the strike but millions of Kenyans. The issues were signed in 2017. We are trying to look at today’s status and see what is applicable,” Nassir said.
KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako directed nurses to return to duty and called for future disputes to be resolved without industrial action.
“Going on strike is not what everyone wants. Going forward, we should resolve issues without going on strike especially the health sector,” Panyako said.
Why the Timing Matters
The settlement comes as the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union had given the government seven days to resolve the nurses’ grievances, warning that doctors were becoming overburdened covering for striking colleagues and could join a wider walkout. That threat added pressure on county governments to reach an agreement before the healthcare disruption widened beyond nursing staff.
This is the second major return to work agreement in Kenya’s public sector within weeks. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union signed a similar deal on September 1, ending a strike that had disrupted flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
With the deal signed, attention now shifts to implementation. Counties have 45 days to conclude CBA negotiations and finalise career progression guidelines, timelines that will determine whether this agreement holds where the 2017 one did not.
