Fourth week of nurses' strike leaves mothers, babies at greatest risk

Nearly a month into their strike, Kenya's nurses say they can see the finish line, even if they are not there yet.

Union leaders now say there has been slight progress on some of their demands, but they are refusing to call off the strike until every issue is resolved.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General Seth Panyako told Nation that at an informal meeting with Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, they agreed to form a committee, drawn from both the Council of Governors and the union, to handle the stalemate over Career Guidelines.

"We have set that aside already," Panyako said.

Their other sticking point, the delayed absorption of Universal Healthcare (UHC) staff, has also seen some movement. Panyako said he would take President William Ruto's word as a promise to resolve the issue by absorbing the workers into the National Government, should the governors continue dragging their feet. At last week's Health Summit, Ruto promised to determine the fate of UHC workers by the end of this week.

"What we are left with now as the main thing is the collective bargaining agreement (CBA)," Panyako said.