Kenya: Nurses at KUTRRH Threaten Strike From 9 November as KNH Nurses Sign New CBA

NAIROBI. Nurses and midwives at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) will walk out from 12:01am on Monday, 9 November 2026 unless their grievances are resolved. The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has warned the hospital in a 21-day strike notice.

The nurses’ 10 demands

1. Promotion of nurses to permanent and pensionable terms.
2. Common-cadre alignment.
3. Payment of accrued arrears.
4. Payment of outstanding gratuity.
5. Finalising and signing a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
6. Review and standardisation of locum rates.
7. Recognition of higher academic and professional qualifications.
8. Formal working hours.
9. Pay for working on public holidays.
10. Permanent and pensionable jobs for locum nurses.

KNUNM Secretary General Seth Panyako said repeated attempts to engage management had produced no “meaningful response or resolution”. The letter, dated 13 October, was copied to the Cabinet Secretaries for Health and for Labour and to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. The union says it will keep existing patients cared for during a strike but will not allow new admissions. No response from KUTRRH management has been reported.

Meanwhile at KNH: a new CBA

Nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya’s largest referral hospital, have signed a 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement with management. It improves terms and welfare, and new Nursing Service and Uniform Allowances took effect on 1 September 2026. The amounts have not been made public. KUTRRH nurses are demanding exactly this kind of signed agreement.

What it means for Kenyan nurses

• Locum and contract nurses are at the centre of the dispute. If you are on locum terms, keep records of your hours, public holidays worked and any arrears.
• A signed CBA is what makes allowances enforceable. The KNH deal sets a benchmark for other referral hospitals.
• Thinking about working abroad? See our Nursing Council of Kenya guide for verification and licence renewal.

Sources: The Star (15 October 2026); KBC; Kenyans.co.ke; People Daily.