Lamu, Kwale among counties where clinical officers’ strike continues despite 21-day suspension
The union said it remains hopeful that the suspension period will allow for further discussions to resolve the outstanding concerns.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has suspended its nationwide strike for 21 days, starting Monday, January 27, following successful negotiations with the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Ministry of Health.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, KUCO Secretary-General George Gibore, however, said the strike will continue in Lamu, Kwale, Vihiga, and Uasin Gishu counties, where clinical officers’ demands remain unmet.
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He confirmed that the strike would persist in these regions, citing unresolved issues that still need to be addressed.
“We have suspended the nationwide strike for 21 days,” the union said.
The union added that it remains hopeful that the suspension period will allow for further discussions to resolve the outstanding concerns.
The union initially launched its strike on January 21, 2025, after issuing a 14-day notice on January 7, 2025, citing unresolved issues related to the Social Health Authority (SHA) and other administrative decisions.
KUCO Chairperson Peterson Wachira explained that restrictive decisions by the SHA board were hindering the implementation of Kenya’s healthcare regulations and policies.
“When it comes to regulation, we are doing excellent. We have the best laws on the land, the best policies, and the best guidelines; in fact, other countries are borrowing them and actually doing better. But then when it comes to the service, this is where we have an issue; this is the reason why we are on a strike,” Wachira said in an interview with a local media station on Wednesday.
Source of grievances
Wachira identified the SHA’s decision to recognise only the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) as a major source of their grievances.
“There’s an administrative policy decision that has been made by a few people that is denying Kenyans access, and this is one of the reasons why we’re on strike. Some people sat at the SHA board and decided that clinical officers cannot serve Kenyans through the Social Health Authority,” he said.
He further criticised this policy, pointing out that clinical officers are primarily responsible for providing care at levels 2 and 3 healthcare facilities, where patients are first seen before being referred to higher-level hospitals.
“Clinical officers provide care to over 90 per cent of Kenyans. According to current regulations, every Kenyan is required to go through levels 2 and 3 of the healthcare system before being referred to level 4, where only clinical officers are available as clinicians. This situation implies that 100 per cent of Kenyans cannot be seen by clinical officers, which we view as self-sabotaging,” Wachira added.
He also questioned the logic behind collecting 2.75 per cent of citizens’ incomes for healthcare if access to services is being restricted.
“When you tell people that we want you to give us 2.75 per cent of your money so that you can provide for them healthcare but then you deny them access to the same, it’s self-sabotaging,” he said.
Exclusion from SHA system
KUCO revealed that the strike was triggered by their exclusion from the new SHA system and breaches of a return-to-work agreement signed last year.
The union made it clear that they would not resume work until their demands were met.
On Monday, the Council of Governors urged KUCO to call off the strike, citing progress on some of the key issues raised.
The CoG noted that miscommunication during a January 14 mediation meeting had led to confusion about the resolutions made.
According to CoG Labour Committee Chairperson Johnson Sakaja, some of the issues had been addressed, including facilitating pre-authorisation for services by specialised clinical officers and allowing the empanelment of facilities and practitioners licensed by the Clinical Officers Council into the SHA.
The CoG also confirmed that an agreement had been reached for the Ministry of Health to enhance the capacity of the Clinical Officers Council to streamline SHA processes.
“In view of the aforementioned resolutions, we call upon the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers to call off the ongoing strike to ensure service delivery in county facilities and in all facilities does not grind to a halt,” Sakaja said.
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