Public Health Officers Paralyze Nairobi CBD As 92-Day Strike Escalates Over Pay & Recognition

Public health practitioners brought parts of the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to a standstill on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, taking to the streets to protest unaddressed labor grievances as their nationwide strike marked its 92nd day.

Operating under the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU), the health workers marched through the capital toward the Ministry of Health headquarters, waving placards and chanting slogans accusing top officials of neglecting their welfare and undermining preventive healthcare.

Addressing the gathering, KEHPHPU National Secretary General and CEO Brown Ashira expressed frustration over the 3-month standoff with the government.

“We are here at the Ministry of Health because we feel despised,” Ashira stated. “We have been on a strike for 92 days, and the things we want are very easy.”

Key Demands: Union Recognition and Intern Compensation

At the core of the union’s grievances is the official recognition of KEHPHPU as a registered public health union. Ashira criticized the Ministry of Health’s operational priority, alleging that national healthcare strategy has favored curative medicine while marginalizing public health officers from key policy decisions.

Financial demands driving the ongoing industrial action include:

• Posting and Payment of Interns: Immediate deployment and remuneration of all public health interns nationwide.

• Risk Allowances: Disbursement of risk allowances to all practicing public health officers.

• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): Finalization and official signing of the union’s pending CBA to formalize terms of service.

Ashira emphasized that resolving these core financial issues remains a prerequisite for ending the standoff:

“Once the interns are paid and the public health officers receive their risk allowances, then we will return to work,” he affirmed.

Surging Health Risks and Systemic Pressure

The ongoing industrial action comes as Kenya faces heightened public health surveillance needs, including the containment of a confirmed Ebola cluster and managing sanitation risks tied to El Niño weather patterns. Protesters highlighted these crises, demanding the immediate recruitment of additional public health officers to reinforce preventive measures across counties.

With the union vowing to maintain its position until a comprehensive agreement is signed, the 92-day strike continues to disrupt public sanitation inspection, disease surveillance, and community health services nationwide.