Migori nurses vow to continue with strike over unmet demands

Nurses strike has paralysed services at Migori County Referral Hospital. [File, Standard] 

Nurses in Migori County have vowed to continue with the strike until their demands are met.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) the acting Migori branch Secretary Ezekiel Mbira said the government was yet to respond to address their grievances.

“Migori County nurses are still on strike,” Mr Mbira said.

The nurses' strike, which started on August 8, 2025, has affected health services in public hospitals within the county and patients seeking treatment are being turned away.

A spot check by the Standard at Migori County Referral Hospital revealed empty benches at the immunisation and antenatal care unit, after mothers were turned away.

Most patients opted to seek services at private hospitals.

Mbira said a strike notice was issued on May 28, 2025 but services were not paralysed then after the conciliation process through the Ministry of Labour was initiated.

The union resolved to begin the strike on August 8 if their grievances were not addressed.

The nurses are demanding implementation of salary structure of 2024 which is dated September 12, 2024, promotion and redesignation and implementation of the return-to-work formula of 2017.

Mbira claimed that Migori County government did not honour the salary structure of 2024 policy that was ratified by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

“That has been a concern to us because there has been an issue of low payment to the nurses,” the acting branch secretary said.

He said delayed promotion and redesignation has seen more than 400 nurses stagnate in one job group for more than four years.

However, he said there are some progress that the employer is making.

“We are anticipating that it will be fully implemented as previously agreed,” Mbira stated.

He faulted the employer for not implementing the return-to-work formula of 2017.

Mbira questioned why this was not being implemented, yet it would improve the welfare of nurses in the county.

“This is a document that has been there for all these years,” Mbira said.

The nurses held a meeting with a section of Migori County officials on August 11, 2025 before declaring that they would continue with the strike until their demands are met.