Kenya’s recurring waves of labor strikes reveal a crisis far deeper than wage disputes or delayed allowances—they point to a fundamental trust deficit between workers, their unions, and the state. From teachers to doctors, nearly every major sector has, at some point, downed tools in protest. Each time, negotiations end with government signing collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) it struggles—or refuses outright—to honor. The result is a vicious cycle: unions mobilize, the government promises, arrears pile up, and new strikes erupt. This perpetual conflict has eroded the credibility of institutions meant to safeguard industrial harmony, leaving both service delivery and economic stability hostage to distrust.

At the heart of the matter is governance failure. Ministries, parastatals, and the National Treasury routinely blame one another for delayed payments or stalled promotions, creating an accountability vacuum. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), meant to be the fiscal referee, is shackled by lack of enforcement powers, reducing it to a “recommendations desk” with little bite. This gap between policy pronouncements and actual execution has not only fueled suspicion among workers but also entrenched cynicism among citizens. When doctors or teachers take to the streets, the public sees not just disgruntled professionals but a state apparatus incapable of keeping its word. In such an environment, even genuine calls for fiscal restraint sound hollow, because credibility has already been squandered.

The trust deficit is not an abstract concept; it’s Kenya’s undoing. A nation cannot build a resilient education system if teachers constantly fear stalled promotions, nor can it deliver universal healthcare when doctors are unsure if their salaries will come through. Investors, too, read these signals—constant strikes flag an unstable labor environment, making Kenya a costlier and riskier place to do business. To restore confidence, government must urgently bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality: fund agreements it signs, empower regulatory bodies to enforce compliance, and practice transparency in fiscal commitments. Until then, Kenya’s labor landscape will remain a theatre of promises made and promises broken, with the trust deficit at its core.

References:

KMPDU Promise Made, Promise Kept As Doctors Receive Full 2017–2024 CBA Arrears

BMJ Global Health Tackling health professionals’ strikes: an essential part of health system strengthening in Kenya

TV47 Kenya “Trust deficit is Kenya Kwanza’s greatest undoing” – MP Makali Mulu