Coast Chapter UHC Nurses Threaten to Strike Over Unfavorable Employment Terms
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, thecoasnewspaper@gmail.com
Nurses contracted under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme in the Coast Chapter have threatened to go on strike if the government failed to employ them on permanent and pensionable terms.
The medics, who staged a peaceful protest in Mombasa on February 21, 2025, urged the government to resolve their grievances or face disruptions of essential services in major hospitals in the region.
Led by their officials, the protesting nurses moved from the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital through the Mombasa central business district before submitting their petition at the Mombasa County governor’s office.
According to Kenya national union of nurses (KNUN) Coast chapter industrial agency officer Peter Maroko failure of government placing nurses on permanent and pensionable terms will resulted into significant disparities in remuneration compared to counterparts on permanent contracts.
“We were contracted by the government for five years. Our issues are that we have been working under difficult circumstances where we are paid a consolidated salary compared to our colleagues under PNP. There was a promise last year to change this status quo, but unfortunately it’s yet be realised, Maroko said.
He added that that disparity has led to discrimination in nursing services/practices and should be looked upon urgently.
For the past three weeks, the nurses have made their plea to the government, but it has landed on deaf ears.
“We are calling on governors, the ministry of health, the public service commission and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to ensure our gratuities are paid in full before we resume work. We want to return to work as PNP employees.”
Bencliff Agalla, UHC nurses official representing the Coast region, decried the poor pay to over 8,500 nurses within region’s hospitals demanding for equal payment and treatment like those employed by the county governments.
According to the officials their members have endured five years of unfair contracts with significantly lower salaries than PNP nurses despite performing the same duties at health facilities.
