Lamu nurses end 79-day strike after agreement with county government
Lamu Deputy Governor Mbarak Bahjaj, who also serves as the County Health Executive, said the county will prioritise nurses’ promotions and other commitments according to available resources.
Nurses in Lamu County have suspended their 79-day industrial action and resumed work following an agreement with the county government.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Lamu Branch confirmed that normal health services have resumed, urging the public to visit facilities without fear of disruption.
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“The strike was suspended for 120 days to allow for implementation of the agreement between KNUN and the Lamu County Government. In fact, all our members have already resumed duty by today (Monday). We had given them 48 hours. We call on members of the public to visit health facilities confidently, as normal services have fully resumed,” said KNUN Lamu Branch secretary Erick Otieno, as reported by The Daily Nation.
Otieno noted that the decision came after a successful conciliation meeting last week, with a Return-to-Work Agreement signed in the presence of the County Labour Officer.
KNUN Lamu Deputy Secretary Joel Obura said the union expects full compliance with the agreed terms and emphasised the importance of ongoing dialogue.
“To avoid future disruptions in health services, we encourage continued dialogue and a timely response to nurses’ concerns. The union remains open and committed to peaceful engagement at all times,” he said.
Lamu Deputy Governor Mbarak Bahjaj, who also serves as the County Health Executive, said the county will prioritise nurses’ promotions and other commitments according to available resources.
“Actually, not all nurses were on strike. In fact, over 190 were at work. We had to adjust ourselves with the remaining nurses available just to ensure services in our hospitals go on normally,” Dr Bahjaj said.
The industrial action was triggered by unresolved demands, including the implementation of the 2017 return-to-work agreement, which granted nurses a uniform allowance increment of 15,000, a nursing services allowance of 10,000, and a health risk allowance of 1,150.
Nurses also sought a six per cent salary increment with arrears for the 2024-2025 financial year, negotiation and signing of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, hiring of 200 additional nurses, conversion of contractual staff to permanent and pensionable positions, and resolution of delayed promotions and re-designations.
Lamu County has 34 health facilities, including King Fahd County Referral Hospital on Lamu Island, Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital in Lamu West, Faza Sub-County Hospital in Lamu East, Mokowe Health Centre in Lamu West, and Witu Health Centre also in Lamu West.
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