The main nurses’ union in Kenya has threatened to call a nationwide strike after health workers in Siaya County were violently attacked during a protest earlier this week.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) said the assault, which took place outside the county government headquarters on Tuesday, left more than 20 nurses injured. Two remain in hospital, according to union officials.
Maurice Opetu, the union’s deputy secretary general, condemned the incident, describing it as proof that “Siaya is unsafe for healthcare workers.” He called on Governor James Orengo to issue a public apology and pressed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to arrest those responsible.
“We advise our nurses not to set foot in any of the county premises,” Mr. Opetu told reporters. “We are relaunching the strike, and the governor has to come out and apologise.”
Standing alongside him was Collins Otieno Ajwang’, president of the National Nurses Association of Kenya, who declared the governor’s office compound “a crime scene” and demanded justice for the victims.
Union leaders alleged that the attackers were hired to intimidate and harm the demonstrators. Henry Adolwa, KNUN’s national trustee, warned that if authorities fail to act, nurses across the country would down tools in solidarity.
“The goons were hired to come and harm our nurses, and we cannot take it lightly,” Mr. Adolwa said. “If nothing is done about it, we will call for a nationwide strike.”
Local officials have yet to issue a detailed response. Governor Orengo’s office did not immediately return requests for comment.
The Siaya branch secretary of the union, Kennedy Hamisi, said most of those injured were treated and discharged, but the incident has left many shaken. “Our members were simply demanding their rights,” he said.
The confrontation highlights rising tensions between health workers and county administrations over pay, staffing and workplace safety. Strikes by nurses and doctors have become a recurring feature of Kenya’s fragile healthcare system, often paralysing hospitals and exposing deep strains in public health delivery.
Whether the union will follow through with its threat of a nationwide strike now depends on how quickly authorities move to investigate and reassure healthcare workers that they will be protected.
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