Nurses are mounting a fresh demand for more than Sh3 billion, taking their employment grievances to the Ministry of Health and county governments.
As at least 2,500 contracts for nurses hired in 2020 are set to expire next month, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has filed a case in the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC), accusing the national and county governments of reneging on their commitments.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health, through the Public Service Commission (PSC), hired these nurses on three-year contracts. Diploma holders received a salary of Sh50,000, while certificate holders earned Sh40,000. Despite the looming end of these contracts, the government previously extended them, recognizing that a mass exit would devastate the health sector.
KNUN’s industrial relations officer, Kibet Kirui, highlighted that in May 2022, then Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua directed the Ministry and counties to transition these nurses to permanent, pensionable terms. Subsequently, counties were asked to nominate individuals to facilitate this transition. Although the contracts lapsed in June last year, they were extended for one more year to allow for stakeholder consultations.
In April 2024, a multi-agency task force deemed it untenable to retain all Covid-19 hired health workers under temporary contracts, recommending instead that diploma holders be placed in job group J/GH/CSG 12 and certificate holders in J/G/CSG 13. They also recommended a Sh3.5 billion allocation from the National Treasury for this purpose.
However, on April 22, 2024, the Ministry of Health, led by Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, rejected the task force’s resolutions, claiming unawareness of the request to transition the contracts. On May 3, 2024, Nakhumicha proposed extending the contracts by another two years, contradicting prior directives and prompting accusations of delaying tactics to let the budget cycle lapse.
KNUN argues that these delays demotivate nurses, who had legitimate expectations of being absorbed on permanent terms and receiving fair remuneration. The union is now pressing for swift resolution and fair treatment for these essential healthcare workers.
