Healthcare services in Machakos County face a looming crisis after nurses threatened to down their tools over delayed salaries and claims of workplace harassment. The county’s approximately 1,350 nurses, who are critical to the delivery of healthcare in public hospitals, have decried months of unpaid wages and harsh working conditions.
Led by Michael Saka, Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, Machakos Branch, the nurses voiced their frustrations at Machakos Level 5 Hospital. Saka revealed that the healthcare workers have gone for three months without salaries, making it impossible for them to meet basic needs or service their loan obligations.
“We are tired and frustrated. We cannot continue working under these conditions,” said Saka. “If salaries are not paid by the end of the day tomorrow, we will have no choice but to go home and wait until the county resolves this matter.”
The nurses further accused the hospital management of harassment, citing unrealistic work expectations and strict reporting requirements. According to their claims, they are forced to work for 160 hours each month and must be at their workstations by 7:30 a.m., which they say adds to the stress and mental burden caused by the salary delays.
On Thursday, the nurses staged a peaceful protest outside the office of Machakos County Health Minister Dr. Justus Kasivu. The demonstration prompted an emergency meeting with the minister, who acknowledged the grievances and admitted that the delay in salary disbursement was due to a hold-up in the release of funds from the National Treasury.
Dr. Kasivu assured the health workers that salaries for all affected county staff, including nurses, would be processed by Friday. “We are aware of the situation and are doing everything possible to ensure funds are released and disbursed promptly,” he said.
Despite the minister’s reassurance, the union maintains that unless the payments are made without further delay, industrial action remains on the table—posing a major threat to healthcare delivery in the region.
