Nurses and midwives at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) have threatened to go on strike on November 9 if the hospital management fails to address their outstanding employment grievances.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) issued the 21-day notice in a letter shared on October 14, warning that its members would withdraw their services from 12:01 am on the planned strike date.
In the notice, union General Secretary Seth Panyako told the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer that nurses and midwives would remain on strike until their demands were met.
The union said it had tried to engage the hospital management over the issues but had yet to reach a resolution.
One of the main concerns is the delay in moving eligible nurses from temporary contracts to permanent and pensionable terms. The union is also demanding payment of salary arrears and outstanding gratuity.
It wants the hospital to finalise and sign a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and review the rates paid to nurses working on temporary contracts.
Other grievances include recognition of employees’ higher academic and professional qualifications, standardisation of working hours, compensation for work done on public holidays and alignment of employees in common job cadres.
The union said essential services would continue if the strike goes ahead, but the hospital would not admit new patients from the start of the industrial action.
“We hereby issue a Twenty-One (21) days strike notice to the management of Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital,” the union stated.
It added: “However, the union shall ensure continuity of services with no new admissions.”
Panyako also directed union branch officials to mobilise nurses and midwives ahead of the planned strike.
The notice follows an earlier strike threat involving KUTRRH nurses in September, which was averted before a full walkout took place.
If the dispute remains unresolved, the nurses are expected to withdraw their services on November 9 as announced.
