All nurses will now be hired on contract basis to fill vacant nursing positions in national and county governments.

This was agreed upon during the seventh National and County Governments Coordinating Summit that was held place at the Sagana State Lodge on Monday.

The announcement was made by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki and the Council of Governors chairperson Wycliffe Oparanya.

“That any vacancies for recruitment of nurses arising from normal attrition in both level of government be filled on contract terms,” said Sicily and Oparanya on the deal reached.

The CS and CoG chair have expressed confidence the pay negotiations between the governments and health workers as ordered by court will bear fruit to end perennial strikes by nurses.

The two arms of government have however indicated that disciplinary proceeding will still be instituted against nurses who failed to resume duty on February 15 as ordered by the court.

The summit asked the Public Service Commission to develop standard contracts for health workers to help in future engagements with the input of the Salaries and Remunerations Commission.

The nurses attached to all the 47 county governments had gone on strike starting from February 4 demanding for better salaries as well as improved uniform and service allowances and promotions.

The strike was suspended for 60 days by the court and President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the nurses to resume to work or face the sack, orders some of them failed to heed to.