Clinical officers say Kenya’s recurring health sector strikes are the result of unresolved disputes dating back several years, with past agreements remaining largely unimplemented.
Speaking during the ongoing industrial action that has lasted for close to a month now, the Kenya Union Clinical Officers (KUCO) Chairperson Peterson Wachira said repeated strikes stem from what he described as a pattern of broken commitments by government.
Wachira says whenever clinical officers down tools, negotiations often lead to written commitments and timelines, but implementation rarely follows once workers resume duty.
“The intention has always been to take us back to work, not to resolve the issues. The dates pass, nothing is done, and trust between workers and employers has completely collapsed,” he said.
According to the union, the dispute dates back to 2017, revolving around the Career Progression Guidelines and a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), both products of negotiations following a 2017 strike.
He says while the process to develop the documents began in earnest in 2019, it stalled after disagreements with employers, leading to court battles involving the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors.
In 2021, clinical officers were ordered back to work by the courts, with directions that employers also resolve the outstanding issues. Wachira claims this never happened, prompting further strikes and legal action.
In August 2023, the court issued orders compelling negotiations and directed that the CBA and career guidelines be concluded by December 2023. The union says the deadline passed without implementation, triggering another strike in 2024 that lasted 100 days, the longest in the union’s history.
The current strike, Wachira says, will not end without full resolution of the outstanding matters.
Strain on workers, pressure on patients
Beyond the labour dispute, Wachira painted a grim picture of working conditions in public health facilities, citing staff shortages and burnout.
He says Ministry of Health data indicates Kenya requires about 24,000 clinical officers to effectively deliver universal health coverage, yet only about 6,000 are currently serving in public facilities.
As a result, he says one clinical officer often performs the work meant for four, leading to extreme fatigue, stress, and declining morale.
Wachira also raised concerns over mental health challenges among clinicians, linking prolonged pressure and job insecurity to rising cases of substance abuse and loss of life among health workers.
In addition, the union is protesting the continued use of short-term contracts, arguing that healthcare is a continuous service that requires permanent staffing to ensure stability and quality care.
“When a health worker is not okay, the patient is worse off,” Wachira said.
Uneven implementation across counties
The union further accuses both national and county governments of failing to implement agreed reforms uniformly.
While a few counties carried out promotions by October 2024, Wachira says the majority have not, and salary reviews aligned to inflation as advised by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) remain pending in many regions.
Government position
The national government and county administrations have previously maintained that negotiations are ongoing and have urged health workers to resume duty to avoid disrupting services, especially for vulnerable patients.
Officials have also cited budgetary constraints and the need for structured implementation of agreements across counties.
However, clinical officers insist they will not sign another Return to Work Formula without full implementation of court directives and the CBA.
“Our employer must come to the table. The court gave directions, and they must be obeyed,” Wachira said.
As talks continue, patients in public hospitals remain the most affected, once again caught between a strained health workforce and a prolonged labour standoff.
by FELIX ASOHA
