Written by Lisa Murimi
A healthcare crisis looms in Nyamira County as nurses prepare to lay down their tools at midnight on Tuesday, May 13, after months of silent suffering and broken promises.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Nyamira branch says it can no longer watch its members work under crippling conditions.
In an emotional press briefing on Monday, union leaders painted a grim picture—nurses going unpaid for up to 10 months, walking miles to work without fare, unable to feed their families, yet still showing up to care for the sick.
“We’ve tried our best to talk to you, and we are tired, and we are no longer going to wait. You have to resolve our issues so that we can go back to work,” a member stated.
The union is demanding immediate action: payment of overdue salaries, redesignation for degree holders, and long-delayed promotions.
“We, as the leaders of the KNUN Nyamira Branch, are here to announce a strike that will start on Tuesday. The county should ensure that all nurses who are to be promoted are promoted. The county should ensure that all the nurses are redesignated, especially those who have done a degree,” one of the union leaders said.
Many nurses say they have lost hope in a system that continues to neglect those at the heart of public health.
This isn’t just a Nyamira issue. Nationally, healthcare workers are crying out.
On April 20, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako warned of a nationwide strike, citing counties that deduct money for insurance and loans but fail to remit it.
“Some counties are deducting funds from the salaries of workers, but they are not remitting, and I want to say that in the next seven days, if these funds aren’t released, we will go on strike,” he said.
“The county government of Trans Nzoia has been deducting salaries, but they have not been remitting money to pay for loans, their insurance covers, and union dues. It is not possible that you are offering health services and you yourself can’t access the services,” he added.
KMPDU’s Davji Atellah added his voice, urging Health CS Aden Duale to step up before the entire system collapses.
For Nyamira’s nurses, it’s no longer about protest—it’s about survival. And for the patients they care for, the cost of inaction could be life itself.
