Kisumu nurses suspend Monday protests to donate blood for crash victims

The ongoing nurses’ strike in Kisumu has taken a compassionate turn on its fourth day, after the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUNM) Kisumu branch postponed a planned street demonstration to stand in solidarity with families affected by the recent tragic road accident. 

Instead of marching to Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s office as scheduled, the nurses have mobilised and joined a blood donation drive at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).

This is aimed at supporting a total of 26 survivors of the crash and honoring those who lost their lives.

The accident along the Kisumu Kakamega highway claimed 26 lives from Nyakach Subcounty and left the community in deep mourning.

KNUN Deputy Secretary General Maurice Opetu said the decision was made out of compassion for the victims and their families.

Opetu noted that they had planned to hold our demonstrations today, but we saw it wise to suspend all activities so we could stand with the victims.

“Our nurses are donating blood to help save lives and show that we are with the people of Nyakach during this difficult time,” he said.

Opetu also urged the county government to use this opportunity to reach out to the union for dialogue.

“We want to call on the county government of Kisumu for being nonsensical to the plight of nurses of Kisumu. We gave a strike notice to all 47 county governments. Some counties, about 10, have responded and are currently negotiating with our members," Opetu said.

"However, it is noted that for three weeks, they have never heard of anyone in Kisumu showing interest or any other engagement with them, which means they are not interested in solving the dispute, causing the nurses to go on strike."

The nurses’ strike, which began last week, is driven by grievances including the county’s failure to implement the 2024 Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) salary review structure already adopted by the national government. 

The union also wants Governor Nyong’o’s administration to address other pending welfare issues.

Opetu said the union had made arrangements to ensure nurses working in critical areas at JOOTRH continue providing essential care to accident victims. 

He further called on psychological counsellors and social workers to offer ongoing support to survivors and bereaved families as they navigate the path to recovery.

Street demonstrations are expected to resume on Tuesday if no agreement is reached.