Alarming deaths reported at Nakuru PGH as nurses keep off work

Nurses and Midwives protest along the streets of Nairobi on August 25 2026 demanding the implementation of the CBA. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

More deaths are being reported across the country as the healthcare workers’ strike continues to cripple public hospitals.

Surgeries have been postponed, theatres have been shut, and hospital wards have been left struggling, even as leaders expected to guarantee quality healthcare remain largely silent.

Instead of seeking lasting solutions, governors, who oversee the devolved health system, are accused of threatening healthcare workers.

But nowhere is the crisis more alarming than at Nakuru Level Five Hospital, where dozens of patients are feared to have died since nurses downed their tools 39 days ago.

On Wednesday alone, at least 11 people died at the facility, according to a hospital insider.

The dead included five adults, three newborns and three children. Most of the bodies were collected from their respective wards at about 11 pm after the deaths were documented.

"Deaths at the hospital are too many. At the moment, we have had 11 collected, and we fear they might be even more as we have not gotten to all the wards," said an insider.

"The bodies are only from four wards; we are yet to get to all areas where patients are," added the insider, who maintained anonymity.

Individuals who died, according to the insider, had been abandoned. They died because of a lack of care. 

It is feared that more than 50 patients have died at the hospital since nurses downed tools 39 days ago.

However, the Department of Health has refuted the claims.

In a statement to the media, the department said the majority of the deaths were associated with long-standing chronic conditions and were not attributed to the ongoing nurses’ industrial action.

“Despite the ongoing nurses’ industrial action, NCRTH remains fully operational and continues to provide essential health services to patients.” Read the statement in part.

The Department urged the public and media to verify information from official sources before sharing, to avoid unnecessary anxiety and misinformation.

Investigations by The Standard revealed that the number of deaths wheeled to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital morgue is on the rise.

Each day, between 10 and 20 bodies are received, said an insider.

Of the bodies, at least 7 and 16 are collected from the hospital, whereas about five are BND (bodies brought in dead).

About five bodies are brought to the morgue, which are referrals from other hospitals, homes or accident scenes.

"At least seven to 18 bodies are booked at the morgue every day, including those from the newborn unit," said the insider.

A nurse attends to a newborn at the Mother and Child Unit at the Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital. [Brian Kisanji, Standard]

Newborns received at the morgue, according to the source, are about four every day.

The number of babies dying and bodies being booked at the morgue, he added, is normally reported each day.

However, he said that, generally, with the strike, the bodies booked at the morgue have not changed much.

"Currently, because of the strike, cases of admission have reduced," he said.

"People cannot go to the hospital when they know health workers are not in. They opt to take their loved ones to private facilities," he added.

Striking forces include nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technicians, and public health officers.

The source said that, though doctors are at work, they do not provide nursing services or dispense medicine to the sick.

Patients in the wards are very sick.

The majority of patients are in the medical ward; some have just undergone surgery, and no one is taking care of them.

Though some have caretakers, they still cannot do much; they watch their relatives die.

"The Situation is dire. Patients are in much pain; they are dying because of lack of care," said the source who requested to remain anonymous because of fear of being victimised.

The most affected areas, or units, at the hospital, according to the insider, are the maternal and newborn, and surgical and medical wards.

At the maternal department within the Margaret Kenyatta Mother Baby wing, the post-Caesarean Section and postnatal wards have been combined because locum nurses are unable to cope with the high workload.

The nurses manning the unit are hospital-contracted and were employed during the 2016 nurses' strike.

Ironically, the nurses have never been absorbed into the county government, and therefore operate out of fear and intimidation.

She added, "Mothers who had complications at birth, for example those with wounds, are not even being dressed. They are in pain,"

At the unit, only emergencies are being attended to, but still locum nurses are not able to manage the situation.

Normally, the unit delivers between 30 and 50 women each day.

But with the strike, only emergency cases are being attended to

Among emergencies being handled are postpartum haemorrhage (PPH- excessive bleeding), obstructed labour, uterine rupture, high blood pressure, placenta abruption and placenta previa.

"We are discouraging deliveries because women are unlikely to get quality care, said the source.

Babies who are very sick are also being managed at the newborn unit.

Some of the babies being observed have infections, the leading cause of death in newborns.

"We have very sick babies at the newborn unit. Sadly, they are dying," said the source

So, the safety of pregnant women and all patients' nurses union in Nakuru has knocked on doors to all medical institutions, pleading with them not to release students to provide care at the hospital.

This, they cite, is due to a lack of nurses to supervise and guide them while at work.

"We cannot allow students to take charge of healthcare. If allowed, we are likely to report more deaths, so they better not be brought to hospitals," said another nurse who requested to remain anonymous.

The hospital has been forced to reduce elective surgeries due to a shortage of nurses in the theatre and surgical ward.

Nurses, through their umbrella body, the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM), have threatened to paralyse services at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital by Monday.

"We need everyone out of that hospital. All services will be paralysed," KNUNM County Secretary General Rose Masta told The Standard in an interview.

"We shall flash out all contracted nurses. They are not offering quality care to patients, so why allow them to work?" added Masta.

A spot check by The Standard revealed that all dispensaries, sub-counties and Level Four hospitals have since closed.

Among the closed Level Four hospitals are Bahati, Gilgil, Njoro, Subukia and Olenguruone. Molo is partially operating.

The facility is only providing emergency deliveries.

Bondeni Maternity and Kwa Rhonda, facilities serving people in the informal settlement, have also been closed.

All rural hospitals, including dispensaries and health centres, in Naivasha Sub-County have been closed.

Only Naivasha level 4 contracted nurses are working.

"No single hospital is working in Nakuru. We shall not report to our stations until our issues are addressed," added Masta.

Annex PGH has also closed.

The facility Annex PGH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Joseph Kairu is accused by nurses of issuing threats to the striking force.

The official has issued show-cause letters to striking nurses, which the striking force has dismissed.

Even as nurses stopped having students diagnose and treat patients in the absence of skilled and experienced nurses, Nakuru County is permitting students to handle patients.

Students are reported to come from other counties. According to nurses, this should be stopped.

In a letter written to Keringet Sub-County, the county chief nursing officer, Wendy Tirop, authorised at least four students to practice.

"Students listed below are nursing students from KMTC Thika Campus, due for subcounty experience from August 31 to September 27, 2026," read a section of the letter.

The letter added, 'I would like to request your office to kindly allow the students to undertake their rotation in your sub-county as a requirement in their training for a Diploma'

In the letter, Tirop said her office had no objections to the arrangements and fully supported the students' rotation at the sub-county.

Nurses strongly objected to the move to onboard students and the victimisation of locum employees.

"County government to stop using nurses and paying peanuts without employing them on a permanent and pensionable basis," added the striking force.