In a landmark move, the Ministry of Health and the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) have signed their first-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), effective from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
This agreement, signed by Principal Secretaries Mary Muthoni (Public Health) and Harry Kimtai (Medical Services), aims to significantly improve the rights, working conditions, and benefits for nurses across the country.
“Key aspects include union rights, job classifications, salaries, allowances, and employment conditions, along with clear procedures for dispute resolution and essential services,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
The statement further highlighted that this milestone would support nurses’ welfare and professional development, enhancing public health service delivery and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, alongside her counterpart in medical services Harry Kimtai, emphasized the government’s commitment to implementing the CBA.
They assured the nursing community of the government’s dedication to upholding the terms of the agreement.
Kenya Union of Nurses and Midwives Secretary General Seth Panyako noted that some of the immediate benefits for nurses include risk allowances, uniform allowances, and service allowances.
This agreement marks a significant achievement for the nurses’ union, which had previously threatened to go on strike if the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) failed to implement the CBA.
The union had issued a strike notice in May 2024, driven by frustrations over the government’s slow response to their demands.
Doctors
The Ministry of Health’s agreement with nurses comes weeks after it signed a similar deal with the Kenya Medical Pharmacists, Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to facilitate the deployment of medical interns.
On July 17, 2024, Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni and KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah announced an agreement that would enable the immediate posting of intern doctors.
Under this new arrangement, the Ministry of Health committed to posting 1,210 medical interns who began their 12-month internships on August 1, 2024.
This agreement followed demonstrations by healthcare workers outside the Ministry of Health headquarters at Afya House in Nairobi.
The healthcare workers staged continuous protests to pressure the government to adhere to the 2017 CBA stipulations regarding intern postings.
These agreements reflect the Ministry of Health’s ongoing efforts to address the concerns of healthcare workers and improve the working conditions within the sector, ultimately contributing to better healthcare services for the Kenyan population.