Health services in Uasin Gishu County have been brought to a standstill after nurses downed tools in a strike that began on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) Uasin Gishu branch secretary general Gleen Kimtai told journalists in Eldoret that the industrial action was taken after the county government failed to address long-standing grievances.
The nurses are demanding overdue promotions, the redesignation of qualified officers, and the issuance of confirmation letters for staff who have served in county health facilities for six years or more.
Nurses union officials further accused the county government of failing to implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), leaving them with no option but to paralyse operations across all county health facilities. 
Uasin Gishu nurses have downed their tools, disrupting services in all county-run health facilities.
Kimtai advised patients seeking treatment to seek alternative care at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) or private facilities, warning that the nurses would not return to work until their demands are met. However, the union emphasised that the door remains open for negotiations with the county government to resolve the impasse.
Nancy Chemweno, a KNUNM board trustee, reinforced the nurses’ resolve, describing them as the backbone of the hospital system. She vowed that they would not resume duties until their grievances are fully addressed.
“I thought that with the devolution of health services, things would be easier, but they have turned out worse,” Chemweno lamented.
The strike affects all the 138 county-run health facilities. However, services at MTRH have not been affected by the strike as the facility is under the national government.
