A healthcare nightmare is unfolding in Machakos County, where two of the region’s largest public hospitals—Machakos Level 5 and Kangundo Level 5—have been reduced to ghost towns. For five agonizing days, medical services have ground to a halt as health workers down their tools, leaving hospital beds eerily empty and corridors silent.
The strike, which began on August 7, 2025, has left desperate patients stranded. Many have been discharged prematurely, while others have been turned away at the gates. Inside the hospitals, abandoned wards tell the story of a county in crisis—once-bustling treatment rooms now stand still, operating theatres lie unused, and the few remaining staff can only watch helplessly.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUN), led in Machakos by Secretary General Michael Saka, accuses the county government of reneging on key promises. The health workers cite failure to implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), long-delayed promotions, unremitted statutory deductions, and the county’s refusal to honor a 2024 Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) directive to raise pay.
This is not the first sign of unrest in the county’s healthcare sector. Just last month, clinical officers narrowly averted their own strike after a last-minute deal promised long-overdue promotions, salary adjustments, and adoption of a national career progression framework—making Machakos the first county to sign onto the guidelines. That fragile peace now appears shattered as nurses, midwives, and other health workers take their battle to the streets.
Frustration among residents is boiling over. “My father needs dialysis twice a week. We came here today and there’s no one to help us. Are we supposed to just wait for him to die?” asked a distraught woman outside Machakos Level 5 Hospital.
As the strike enters its sixth day, pressure is mounting on the county administration to strike a deal. For now, the silence in Machakos and Kangundo’s largest hospitals is deafening—a chilling reminder of what happens when labor disputes meet life-and-death public services.
