TURKANA – The ongoing strike by nurses, clinical officers and laboratory technicians continues to disrupt healthcare services across the country, with patients in Turkana also feeling the impact of the prolonged industrial action. The strike, which has entered its fourth week, has left patients seeking services at Lodwar County Referral Hospital facing long waiting hours, with some struggling to access medical attention.
The situation in Turkana comes as health workers in several North Rift counties remain off duty, including Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo. In Eldoret, striking health workers on Wednesday stormed the Uasin Gishu County Government headquarters for the fourth time, demanding that Governor Jonathan Bii address their grievances. The workers blocked the main entrance for more than an hour, but both Governor Bii and his Health Executive Janet Kurgat were absent from the offices.
The workers have rejected fresh negotiations with governors, insisting that previously signed agreements should be implemented instead. Klen Kimutai, the nurses’ union secretary in Uasin Gishu, said the workers would not be intimidated into ending the strike through court orders. “We will only obey the court orders by going to jail,” Kimutai said.
The unions are demanding implementation of the delayed 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement and the 2017 return-to-work agreement. They are also calling for the absorption of Universal Health Coverage workers into permanent and pensionable terms, implementation of delayed promotions and remittance of statutory deductions.
Kimutai accused governors of attempting to reopen negotiations on issues that had already been agreed upon. “The governors are forcing us to renegotiate with them on the same issues which we concluded, but we will not engage in wasteful talks with them. Let them implement all that we agreed and signed,” he said.
In Turkana, the prolonged strike has added pressure to an already stretched public health system. Patients arriving at Lodwar County Referral Hospital have reported long waits before receiving medical attention, raising concerns over access to essential services.
A resident, John Esibitar, said access to basic healthcare remains a major challenge in remote parts of Turkana, particularly for patients who depend entirely on public health facilities. He cited Lochakula Dispensary, where kidney patients have continued to experience difficulties accessing essential care.
The concerns come as Turkana County maintains that essential services have continued despite the strike. Turkana County Health Executive Committee Member Dr. Epem Esekon said the industrial action was a national matter affecting all 47 counties and was being handled through the Council of Governors. Speaking during a supportive supervision visit to Lodwar County Referral Hospital, Esekon said critical patients would continue to receive attention. “Any critical patient will be catered for,” Dr. Esekon said, adding that health workers on strike were still allowed by law to attend to critical patients.
However, residents say the situation on the ground remains difficult, particularly for patients requiring routine treatment and those travelling long distances to access healthcare.
The dispute has also attracted criticism from residents concerned about the leadership of the health sector at a time when services are under pressure. Peter Ekiru, a resident, questioned the focus of the county health executive, arguing that the health department requires full attention during the ongoing crisis.
The county government has, meanwhile, continued to pursue measures aimed at strengthening healthcare services. Earlier this year, it partnered with Ambulex Solutions to improve emergency medical response and strengthen pre-hospital and hospital referral services across Turkana. The county has also entered into a new partnership with the International Rescue Committee to strengthen healthcare delivery, disease surveillance and health systems in Turkana.
Nationally, the striking health workers have maintained that they will not return to work until their grievances are resolved. Kimutai said health workers wanted to serve patients but could not continue working while their rights remained unaddressed. “It is our desire as health workers to serve patients without such disruptions, but we cannot do so if our rights are ignored,” he said. He added: “We have been negotiating for a long time to avert the strike. We will not resume work until our demands are met.”
Religious leaders have also called for an urgent intervention, warning that the prolonged dispute was putting patients’ lives at risk. Rev. Thomas Kiptoo and Muslim leader Abubakar Bini urged the government and health workers to return to the negotiating table. Bini said the health sector required urgent attention because of its direct impact on human life. “Health is a very critical sector concerning lives, and the government should have stopped everything to deal with this matter,” Bini said.
As the strike enters its fourth week, the focus is increasingly shifting from the demands of health workers to the patients caught in the middle. In Turkana, where many residents travel long distances to reach facilities such as Lodwar County Referral Hospital, prolonged delays in accessing treatment could further expose vulnerable patients to serious health risks.
The standoff between health workers and county governments therefore continues, with unions insisting on implementation of existing agreements, while county governments maintain that essential and emergency services must continue.
