The strike by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) in Bungoma County has entered day five, paralysing hospital operations.
The strike that has inflicted more pain and suffering on patients comes after the county government failed to act upon a 21-day notice issued on December 18, 2024.
Patients seeking health assistance have expressed their disappointment with Governor Kenneth Lusaka's administration for failing to address the nurses' demands, noting that the strike has left them with more pain and agony. "We have lost 7 babies already, how many more lives should be lost for the county government to listen?" said an agitated Mercy Akisa, a patient at the pediatric wing.
She said the strike has left many patients stranded with no one to attend to them. "How are we supposed to get well when we have no one to care for us, we pay tax and that tax should be able to fix this nurse's grievances," said Akisa.