Clinical officers will down their tools starting midnight on Sunday after the government failed to meet their demands, Chairperson Peterson Wachira has announced.
Already, the country is staring at a health crisis with nurses and clinical officers wanting to down tools this weekend. This comes amid a flurry of issues surrounding the health sector, from the chaotic rollout of the new health funding system to the emerging Mpox.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) insisted on Friday, January 17, that its members will withdraw their services starting Monday, January 20, in a bid to force implementation of an agreement with the government.
The union is demanding the resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa and the CEO of Social Health Authority (SHA), Robert Ingasira, over the issues affecting the rollout of the new health scheme.
Health CS Dr Deborah Barasa, with PS Mary Muthoni and Director General Dr Patrick Amoth, inspecting key health facilities, including KNH, to evaluate preparedness for the Mpox outbreak, Monday, August 19.
Photo
MoH
The union had earlier this month issued a demand to the government to honour a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in September 2024. The agreement was reached after a 99-day strike last year.
Among the issues raised by the clinicians is what they term discrimination by the Social Health Authority (SHA) against clinical officers. Other grievances include the provision of comprehensive medical coverage and the conversion of those on contractual terms to permanent staff.
“We inform those with patients in public facilities or who will be seeking services that we will not be there starting Monday next week,” the union said at a press conference on Friday.
The union’s national chairperson, Peterson Wachira, said, “We know people are going to suffer. We do not have any other option. Their government has failed them.”
Clinical officers are not the only ones downing tools. Nurses earlier this month threatened to strike starting Monday, January 20, in a bid to force the government’s hand.
The union is demanding the conversion of the approximately 2,700 universal health coverage (UHC) nurses recruited in 2020 on contractual terms to permanent and pensionable terms to strengthen health services.
The strike notice followed an agreement between two of the nurses’ unions, the National
Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) and Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUN). The two parties threatened to down tools, in a bid to force better terms.
A new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is among the issues the union wants addressed.
“If the nurses who are currently on contract are not given permanent postings in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, nurses will proceed on strike on 19 January,” stated Joseph Ngwasi, KNUN chairperson.
Medical doctors participating in a strike on April 9, 2024
Photo
George Oyunge