Kenyan nurses who are set to travel to the UK for work beginning next month are set to pocket huge salaries that could be as high as two to three times what their counterparts in Kenya earn.
This will be realized if the Kenyan government manages to negotiate for the health workers to earn the same as their UK counterparts.
The first batch of between 1,000 to 2,000 Kenyan nurses is expected to travel to the UK in October to work under the National Health Service (NHS), whose pay structure uses bands introduced in 2004.
The Royal College of Nursing estimates the average annual salary of an NHS nurse at Sh4, 324,410, according to Nation.
A newly qualified nurse enters the workforce at Band Five and can earn up to Sh397,977 (£31,534).
The pay for nurses working under the NHS also differs depending on the area they work. For instance, nurses who live and work in Inner London get 20 percent of basic salary that is subject to a minimum payment of Sh696,187 (£4,608) and a maximum payment of Sh1,072,231 (£7,097).
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache is leading senior health, labor, and foreign affairs officials in the negotiations with their UK counterparts.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe denied reports that the government will get a percentage of the cash that Kenyan nurses will make in the UK.
“The discussions will be constructed in a very positive and constructive way. The objective of the government-to-government deal is to create employment for our nurses,” he said.
Kagwe said they have made plans to ensure that the move does not create a shortage of nurses in the country.
He noted that nurses who have specialized in fields such as nurse anesthetists, cardiac nurses, and critical care will not be part of the team that will travel.
“We want to protect Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and so we really do not wish to have brain drain because this might destabilize the health system,” Kagwe told Nation.
During President Kenyatta’s visit to London in July, the two nations signed a bilateral labor agreement that will see Kenyan healthcare professionals recruited to work under NHS.
Labor CS Simon Chelugui said Kenya agreed to send up to 20,000 nurses to the UK to address a shortage of 62,000. About 900 Kenyan nurses currently work in the UK public healthcare system.
So who’s left to provide…
So who’s left to provide care for Kenyans? 2000 nurses is a lot. I don’t blame the nurses for taking the opportunity but why is Kenya giving the white man the best? We are in the middle of a global pandemic and Kenyan gov is sending nurses to UK…wtf?
But I see what’s going on. When rich politicians or wealthy Kenyans need medical attention they go to UK for care. When regular Kenyans get sick, good luck seeing a nurse or a doctor.
If the government is true to…
If the government is true to it’s word and if they negotiate wages that are equal to current wages in the UK, this is actually a good deal for the unemployed nurses in Kenya. I can see currently employed nurses trying to be canned or quitting just to earn those pounds. As far as the wage band, I think the arithmetic for “a newly qualified nurse enters the workforce at Band Five and can earn up to Sh397,977 (£31,534)” is a little off. That number should be north of 4.7 million shillings. If you live in the UK, now is the time to let these new arrivals know what pitfalls to avoid.
Simple google search says…
Simple google search says that life in the UK is 3.5 times more expensive than Kenya. Going by the headline, the nurses are already .5 times negative/minus. So, for them to have reason to leave……mmmmmh ….do better maths.
Per the agreement the nurses…
Per the agreement the nurses going aren’t supposed to already have jobs in Kenya which would mean they are making £0 and anything over that would be a raise. While life in Kenya may be cheaper, if you have no money in Kenya, it sucks just the same. Shida ninavyowaona ni kwamba ufisadi umekita mizizi nchini Kenya. Somehow, someway those who already have jobs and are doing well will find a way to get to the head of the line via bribery and knowing someone. It’s a good idea (better than Arab countries for sure) but GoK is masterful at screwing stuff up
At whatever cost, Kenya is…
At whatever cost, Kenya is overstaffed qith Nurses leading to low wages. Let them go
This article is very…
This article is very misleading.
” Kenyan nurses….as high as two or three times what their counterparts in Kenya earn”
Are we taking into consideration the cost of living in the UK is more than three times the cost of living in Kenya?
How about their travel expenses to see their families that they leave behind?
How about part of their pay is being pocketed by our greedy leaders.
” This will be realized if the government….same as their UK counterparts in Kenya earn”
I thought this deal was already negotiated and concluded if the first group of nurses is leaving in October.
Why do they have to negotiate. I thought a nurse in Kenya is the same as a nurse in UK.
Do I sense discrimination here?
Let every nurse analyze their own situation and make the best decision for themselves and their families.
“Ee mungu nguvu yetu”
We are importing doctors and…
We are importing doctors and exporting nurses…eeh. Transnzoia county is understaffed…and we ship out nurses. Wakikuyu mnaaribu inchi!
Cost of living in London is…
Cost of living in London is astronomical. That figure did not take into account, taxes, NI and pension. And other costs of living.
With this deal Kenyan gov is taking its cut to so wages will be less.
Was a Kenyan nurse in UK for 10 years, worked that in addition to agency shifts to make ends meet.
With hard work it pays off
??This nurses will end up…
??This nurses will end up looking for another job as many do juu life is expensive in the so called Majuu.Chances of getting depressed will rise,no social life,chances of their marriages to be broken will rise juu they will become greedy starting working night shifts,2/3 jobs juu of greediness.So I hope this nurses have bin given a good lecture if the life in majuu b4 they get cheated of jobs jobs in uk.Some of us who have returned back to kenya would like to offer free talks b4 they take the jobs.Only the smart diasporas who survives beta in the so called majuu n they r 1/2 in 100.
With all due respect, no…
With all due respect, no advise from you…pliz. Going by what I read from you 99% of the time, your shallow, subjective and outright bias would be their undoing. Maybe your milksman would value your advice.
Uhuru should go back and…
Uhuru should go back and negotiate a deal for domestic workers,so that we can stop sending our sisters to be enslaved by the Arabs.
On this issue of Kenyan nurses going to partially fill the 62,000 nurse shortage in UK,Iam glad that the benefit is mutual.Now,could you imagine if Kenya had a shortage of nurses by that number?Where would we get the cash to pay them? One thing Iam sure of is that we would over work those we have leading to more strikes…
Let’s try and understand…
Let’s try and understand that we can, we’ve, and are still criticizing the west. But ,majority wants to head there, because of the opportunities.
Problem is none of us are giving them the simple facts, like we live double lifes,one in majuu and another in Kenya.
We have to have double investments in Kenya and in the west, thus working double Shifts, starting our own businesses etc.
…am sure that’s exactly…
…am sure that’s exactly what they are looking for. What use is it having all the time on your hands but with no money to either invest on a side income or to get out and entertain yourself or family? Most would rather work hard when they can and retire to something… and while at it have some poko for entertainment… Kwani what is life? It’s the journey, not the destination…after all how many make it to that destination.
In time these nurses will…
In time these nurses will realize their x3 salaries will hardly pay for their upkeep even if they live in a dormitory . Uk is just too expensive they will realize in time