Kenya’s nursing unions’ members during a press briefing in Kisumu. Faith Matete Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako is addressing the media in Kisumu. Faith Matete
Nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) are set to down their tools on Monday, citing prolonged salary delays, unresolved bank deductions and stalled pension payments.
While speaking in Kisumu on Sunday, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako said the situation at the country’s premier referral hospital had reached a breaking point. He alleged that some nurses have gone without stable pay for between four and six years due to what he termed persistent cash flow and payroll system challenges.
He claimed that although nurses continue to work, their salaries are often processed in a manner that is immediately absorbed by banks. This offsets loans and deductions that have not been properly reconciled.
“We have nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital who have been on cash flow issues for four to six years. Salaries are processed but banks retain the money because deductions and loans have not been remedied,” Panyako said.
He further accused the system of failing retired health workers. He said pension payments have also been delayed or withheld, leaving former staff without support long after leaving service.
“I am also a pensioner from Kenyatta National Hospital. I retired early after being dismissed while fighting for workers’ rights. Today I am told there is no pension for me,” he said.
Panyako argued that the crisis was not necessarily the fault of the hospital management. He said it was a deeper systemic failure affecting payroll and financial management systems within the public health sector.
“These issues are beyond the CEO of Kenyatta National Hospital. They are system problems. A lot of money goes to the bank and does not come back to the hospital. How do you expect us to serve patients under such conditions?” he posed.
He also raised concern over what he described as inadequate funding for hospital operations. He warned that essential services such as medicine supply and patient feeding were being affected by the financial bottlenecks.
According to him, the union has also opposed the continued reliance on casual and externally recruited staff. He said long-serving nurses remain in prolonged temporary status.
“You cannot keep nurses on casual terms for four to six years and then bring in others from outside. Those who have served the system must be prioritised,” he said.
Panyako said KNUN members at KNH have resolved to withdraw their labour. He noted that this would mark the first time nurses at the facility are staging a strike.
“For the first time, nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital will go on strike. Enough is enough. Our members have given clear direction that there will be no work starting tomorrow,” he said.
He maintained that the industrial action was not driven by leadership. He said it was driven by grassroots members demanding urgent intervention and reforms in the management of salaries, deductions and pension schemes.
The planned strike is expected to significantly disrupt services at the country’s largest referral hospital. This will happen if talks between the union and relevant authorities fail to yield a last-minute agreement.