Health Workers Strike Over Poor Working Conditions

Health workers across several Kenyan counties have launched industrial action, citing chronic nonpayment of salaries, unpaid statutory deductions, and unsafe working conditions. In Kiambu County, over 500 medics—including nurses and clinical officers—staged a peaceful protest from Thika Level 5 Hospital to sub-county offices, demanding two months of unpaid wages and a resolution to long-standing grievances.
The strike has expanded nationally, with doctors joining in solidarity over what they describe as unsustainable working environments. According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), some doctors in Kiambu have gone months without pay, and public hospitals are also facing critical shortages of essential medical supplies.
In Nairobi, frontline health workers—including medics, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical officers—picketed at Jeevanjee Gardens on 2 October 2025 to demand not just salary arrears but also respect, job security, and stronger healthcare worker protections. Union leaders said many workers are struggling with stalled promotions, unremitted deductions (such as medical cover), and poor terms of service.
The strike has put further pressure on the public health system. In Nandi County, private hospitals are reporting an influx of patients turned away from public facilities. Meanwhile, striking nurses have rejected a government proposal to transfer staff to different counties, insisting instead on better working conditions, permanent contracts, and salary reforms.