Secretary General Seth Panyako said on  Saturday that nurses would not return to work until the government implements agreements reached with the union, including the 2017 Return-to-Work Formula and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

“Up to now, the return-to-work formula of 2017 has never been implemented by the current government,” Panyako said during a media briefing on the ongoing industrial action.

He said nurses were frustrated that agreements made with other groups following the 2017 labour disputes had been implemented while commitments affecting nurses remained outstanding.

“Our colleagues that had an argument in 2017 have had those arguments honoured and arrears have been paid. We don’t understand why the government feels like nurses are not important and they should not have an argument,” he said.

Panyako said the union was aware that its decision to continue with the strike despite court orders directing health workers to resume duty could have legal consequences.

“We are saying as a union, the court has stood in our way from 2016 up to now. The CoG and SRC liaise with the courts. You can see even our courts giving final orders,” he said.

He, however, maintained that the union was prepared to face the consequences of its decision if doing so would force the government to address nurses’ concerns.

“We are therefore, as law-abiding citizens, ready to appear in court and ready to tell the court that we want to take the punishment that might be meted out to us if that is what will mean nurses of this country can be respected,” Panyako said.

“Otherwise, there is no going back to work,” he added.

The nurses began their nationwide strike on July 29 after the union issued a seven-day notice demanding action on a number of unresolved issues.

At the centre of the dispute is the failure to conclude negotiations for the 2025-2029 CBA, which the union says has delayed improvements in nurses’ salaries and terms of service.

The union has also accused authorities of failing to implement the 2017 Return-to-Work Agreement despite years of negotiations.

KNUNM is further demanding the absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) nurses into permanent and pensionable employment, implementation of approved career guidelines and resolution of the employment dispute involving 46 nurses dismissed by Kisii County Government.

The union has also raised concerns over salary structures, shortages of nurses in public facilities and failure by employers to remit some third-party deductions.

In an earlier statement, it said the 2017 agreement remained largely unimplemented despite years of follow-up.

Panyako has previously argued that the dispute cannot simply be blamed on devolution, saying healthcare is a shared constitutional function involving both levels of government.

“The Ministry of Health, we have already a CBA. The career guideline I’m talking about has already been implemented in the national government,” he said in an August 11 interview.

“Health is not a devolved function. Health is what we call in the Constitution a shared function,” Panyako said.

The prolonged strike has disrupted services in public hospitals, with referral facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital reporting increased pressure as patients seek treatment after services at county facilities were affected.

KNH has advised patients seeking non-emergency care to consider other facilities while maintaining that emergency and critical services remain available.

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Sunguti, a seasoned politician and former deputy governor aspirant in the 2022 Kakamega gubernatorial race alongside Michael Osundwa, confirmed his withdrawal saying he lacked the financial muscle to compete with what he described as “government-backed candidates.”

“I have made a difficult but honest decision to withdraw from the Malava parliamentary race. The contest has become highly monetized, and as a grassroots leader without state backing, I cannot match the financial resources being poured into this election,” Sunguti said in a statement released to the media.

The 61-year-old politician, who hails from the Abatobo clan, the same clan as DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako, hinted that he may consider rallying behind Panyako in the coming weeks, though he stopped short of making a formal endorsement.

“I share a cultural bond and community connection with Mr. Panyako. As a son of the Abatobo, I will consult widely with elders and supporters before making any decision on whom to support. What matters most is that Malava gets a leader who truly represents its people,” he stated.

Sunguti added that he had officially notified both the Roots Party and the IEBC of his withdrawal, saying his decision was made “in the best interest of democracy and transparency.”

However, confusion clouded his withdrawal after a separate letter purportedly from the Roots Party surfaced online, indicating that the party had revoked his nomination certificate even before he formally announced his exit.

In the letter, allegedly signed by a senior party official, the Roots Party said it had “resolved to withdraw the nomination of Mr. Caleb Sunguti as the party’s candidate in the Malava by-election”, citing internal consultations and realignment of strategy.

Party sources, speaking anonymously, suggested that the decision was made amid growing divisions within the Roots Party’s Kakamega branch, with some members pushing for alliances with smaller parties to consolidate votes against dominant national coalitions.

Neither Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah nor the national election board officials had issued a formal clarification by press time

Sunguti, who previously served as a civic leader and education advocate in Kakamega County, was thrust into the limelight during the 2022 general election when he ran as Michael Osundwa’s running mate on a Roots Party ticket.

Despite losing, he remained active in grassroots mobilization and local development forums.

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