Kisumu: The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has expressed strong support for Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale’s intensified crackdown on illegal and substandard health facilities. KNUN General Secretary Seth Panyako today affirmed that the union is solidly behind the push to enforce healthcare standards and dismantle cartels within the system.

According to Kenya News Agency, Panyako warned that continued abuse of the healthcare system where some clinics and hospitals bill multiple patients for a single hospital bed must stop to restore sanity in the sector. ‘We want quality healthcare services for our clients. We will not compromise on that. There is no way you can charge a patient for a bed when three people are on it. We support the CS Duale fully on this one. If you want more patients, buy more beds and employ more nurses,’ Panyako asserted.

Healthcare fraud, he said, was being facilitated by corrupt practices in billing systems, and called for increased recruitment of health workers to meet the demands of Kenya’s public healthcare sector. Panyako spoke during a two-day training for over 180 union leaders at Tom Mboya Labour College, drawn from all 47 counties and parastatal branches gathered for capacity building on negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, and labour law compliance.

The training, he said, was critical in empowering county-level leaders to engage effectively with the more than 50 different employers across Kenya’s devolved health system. ‘We have postponed our strike for 30 days because the government appointed conciliators. This training will prepare our members to negotiate constructively,’ he said.

Panyako reiterated that the union’s long-standing grievances including the non-implementation of the 2017 return-to-work formula remained unresolved in several counties. ‘The most outstanding dispute for nurses is the 2017 return-to-work formula. Only a few counties have complied. We are happy that CS Duale is committed to ensuring it is implemented across board,’ he said.

The Kisumu forum is part of KNUN’s broader strategy to decentralize decision-making and improve engagement with employers at the grassroots level. ‘We are not in normal times. With 2027 politics already heating up, our approach must be pragmatic. This is how we will protect the interests of our members,’ he said.

KNUN National Chair Joseph Kwasi underscored the importance of the training, saying it will go a long way in reducing the recurrence of costly court disputes between counties and the union. He criticized non-cooperative county governments and emphasized the importance of strengthening internal dispute resolution mechanisms. ‘Our officials must be better equipped. The goal is to reduce disharmony and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth with employers,’ Kwasi said.

Speaking during the same meeting, National President of the Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK), Collins Ajwang, delivered a critique of mushrooming nursing colleges operating without adequate facilities nor adhering to requisite training standards. He said the profession was under threat from unregulated institutions established by private individuals for profit, warning of a nursing education crisis.

‘We condemn the trend where every philanthropist wants to start a nursing school. We want the Nursing Council of Kenya strengthened. Cartels must not be allowed to dilute this profession,’ he said. He also demanded that the national and county governments provide equal access to training opportunities and scholarships across all cadres, warning that the nursing workforce was demoralized and overstretched.

‘There can never be quality care without properly trained nurses. One nurse cannot handle 40 patients. That’s abuse,’ he said. Ajwang further raised alarm over safety concerns in healthcare facilities, citing increasing attacks on nurses during unrest and demonstrations. He urged the government to guarantee physical protection for nurses both at work and in their homes. ‘The security of our members is not negotiable. Our workstations are porous. Even political leaders are attacking nurses verbally and physically. We will not allow this to continue,’ he stated.