NAIROBI, Kenya—The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has vowed to continue its nationwide strike despite court orders directing striking health workers to return to duty, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation with the government and the courts.
On Saturday, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako said that nurses would not resume work until the government implements the 2017 return-to-work formula, which he said has remained unresolved almost a decade.
“Up to now, the return-to-work formula of 2017 has never been implemented by the current government,” Panyako said.
The union argues that it has been unfairly treated compared with other groups involved in the 2017 labour disputes, saying agreements reached with some of the workers were honoured and outstanding arrears paid.
“Our colleagues that had an argument in 2017 have had those arguments honoured and arrears have been paid. We don’t understand why the government feels like nurses are not important and they should not have an argument,” Panyako said.
The union’s position puts the nurses on a collision course with authorities after courts issued orders requiring striking health workers to resume duty.
Panyako said KNUN was aware of the legal implications of defying the orders but maintained that the union was prepared to face the consequences rather than abandon its demands.
“We are therefore, as law-abiding citizens, ready to appear in court and ready to tell the court that we want to take the punishment that might be meted out to us if that is what will mean nurses of this country can be respected,” he said.
Panyako accused the courts, the Council of Governors and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission of frustrating the union’s efforts to secure implementation of agreements reached with nurses.
He maintained that the union would not call off the strike until its grievances are addressed.
“Otherwise, there is no going back to work,” Panyako said.
The prolonged strike is already disrupting services in public health facilities, leaving patients seeking treatment to contend with reduced services and longer delays.
Kenyatta National Hospital on Friday advised patients seeking non-emergency treatment to consider seeking services at other health facilities because the nurses’ strike was affecting operations.
The dispute now places the government under growing pressure to resolve the outstanding issues with the nurses while also raising questions over how the authorities will enforce court directives requiring health workers to return to duty.
For patients dependent on public hospitals, the continued standoff threatens further disruption of routine and essential healthcare services unless the two sides reach an agreement.
The nurses, however, appear unwilling to retreat, with KNUN insisting that implementation of the 2017 agreement remains the key condition for ending the strike.
