The unfolding nurses’ strike in Machakos has been unmasked as less of a labor dispute and more of a calculated political scheme. At the center of the storm is branch union leader Michael Saka, accused of colluding with Senator Agnes Kavindu and other political detractors to cripple public hospitals and undermine Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s administration. Sources reveal that the union leadership has been holding clandestine dinners and strategy sessions with Wavinya’s political enemies, with one mission — to weaponize health services and turn the suffering of ordinary patients into political capital.
Governor Wavinya has dismissed the strike as unjustified, pointing to her administration’s record of unprecedented investment in the health sector. Within her short tenure, 422 healthcare workers have been promoted at a cost of Sh19.08 million annually, 54 nurses hired in 2024 at Sh56 million annually, 183 more nurses employed in 2025 at Sh180 million annually, and 231 nurses promoted this year at Sh37.1 million annually. On top of this, 42 new nurses are currently being recruited at Sh40.8 million annually. These numbers stand as proof that Wavinya’s government has done what no previous regime dared — strengthen healthcare delivery through heavy investment in personnel.
Yet, despite six out of seven union demands being met in negotiations, the talks collapsed on a single issue: promotions. The county insisted on phasing them, a reasonable approach in line with budgetary realities, but the union leadership stormed out. Governor Wavinya accused them of arrogance and political puppetry, declaring that Machakos will not be held hostage. In a bold counterstrike, she announced the recruitment of 500 new nurses to replace the striking ones, telling residents she would never watch them suffer while politicians played dangerous games with their lives.
Attention has now shifted to Michael Saka, who is alleged to have been making phone calls to opposition figures, soliciting financial handouts in exchange for fueling the strike. Critics argue that with his family safely based in Kiambu and western Kenya, Saka has no stake in the pain inflicted on Machakos residents — he can afford to paralyze hospitals without consequence. For the people of Machakos, however, the cost is devastating: abandoned patients, disrupted services, and a healthcare system dragged into the mud of politics. The message from the ground is clear — residents stand with Governor Wavinya in rejecting political sabotage disguised as a nurses’ strike.
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