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Tag: KNUN

  • Health Ministry commits to resolving UHC staff concerns

    Health Ministry commits to resolving UHC staff concerns

    Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to resolving long-standing concerns surrounding Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff.

    This follows after a consultative meeting with the Kenya Union of Nurses (KNUN) and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) at Afya House, Nairobi on Wednesday, where he confirmed that funds have been secured to transition eligible UHC staff to permanent and pensionable terms.

    However, he stressed that this will be implemented only after a verification exercise scheduled for July is concluded.

    The process will be undertaken by joint teams from the national and county governments, in collaboration with union representatives, and will involve a comprehensive headcount to reconcile national and county payrolls.

    “This is a clean-up process to protect public resources. Only staff who are duly verified and submit the required documentation will be transitioned,” said CS Duale.

    He emphasized that some UHC staff had been hired directly by counties and must be properly accounted for in the verification.

    The outcome of the verification will guide the signing of the Return-to-Work Formula in August, paving the way for payroll harmonization, transition of staff to permanent terms, and eventual devolution of payroll management to county governments.

    CS Duale urged the unions to mobilize their members to fully cooperate with the verification teams and present all necessary documents.

    Also discussed during the meeting were the implementation of the revised salary structures by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and the integration of specialized clinical officers and nurses into the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework.

    Further, Hon Duale appealed Unions support for the recently unveiled Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025, calling it a significant milestone in transforming Kenya’s health sector.

    He nderscored its potential to accelerate progress toward Vision 2030 and reinforce BETA priorities.

    Present at the meeting were KNUN Secretary General Hon. Seth Panyako, KUCO Secretary General and CEO George Gibore, Dr. Daniel Mwai (Advisor to the Presidential Economic Transformation Council), Eng. Anthony Lenaiyara (Acting CEO, Digital Health Agency), and senior officials from the Ministry of Health.

  • Nurses issue 26-day strike notice over unresolved grievances

    Nurses issue 26-day strike notice over unresolved grievances

    Healthcare services across the country face potential disruption after the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) issued a 26-day strike notice to both the national and county governments demanding urgent resolution of longstanding grievances.

    Speaking in Nairobi on Thursday, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako said nurses country will down their tools on July 7 to push for employment of UHC staff on Permanent and Pensionable terms.

    He noted that several of the union’s grievances have remained unresolved for over seven years despite repeated appeals for dialogue and action.

    According to the union, nurses have continued to work under precarious conditions, which has created disparities in employment and insecurity within the public health system.

    Panyako also faulted county governments for failing to implement the new 2024 salary structure proposed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

    He added that the revised structure is outlined in an SRC circular dated September 12, 2024, and was meant to take effect from July 1, 2024.

    The union also wants the government to honor the Return-to-Work Formula agreed upon on November 2, 2017.

    KNUN further accused counties of failing to negotiate and finalise collective bargaining agreements, despite multiple attempts by the union to engage in dialogue.

    Pamyako also raised concerns over what he termed as the illegal deduction of agency fees by Kenyatta National Hospital.

    He criticised for failing to transfer the necessary budgets and grants to Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, a delay that the he argues has negatively impacted operations at the facility.

    Other grievances include the continued shortage of nurses in public hospitals, which the union claims has overburdened the existing workforce and compromised service delivery.

    KNUN is also demanding the preauthorization of nurse anesthetists and the recognition of nursing health facilities registered by the Nursing Council of Kenya.

    Further, the union cited failure by various government entities to remit third-party deductions, a move they say amounts to financial misconduct.

    Panyako insisted that while the union is prepared to engage in discussions with the government, their patience is wearing thin.