The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has announced that it will commence its strike today at midnight, citing unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) demands.
The strike was confirmed by the National Association of Clinical Officers Anaesthetists (NACOA) Secretary General Daniel Kithome in a statement directed to NACOA members on Monday, February 17. Kithome also urged NACOA members to join the strike.
“Our union (KUCO) has announced a Clinical Officers’ strike commencing at midnight today due to various issues, such as the inability of our cadre to preauthorize, UHC, and CBA,” he stated.
“As the leadership of the association, we fully support the Union and therefore call upon you to accord them the necessary support for the goal to be achieved,” he added.
Graduate doctors and medical students stage protests outside Afya House on February 12, 2023.
Photo
Ramesh Saxena
The strike will add to a series of strikes issued by the clinical officers in recent months, bearing the same theme of unfulfilled CBA.
On January 7, 2025, through their national Chairperson Peter Wachira, KUCO threatened to strike if the demands agreed upon in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in September 2024 were not met.
The Union also named discrimination by the Social Health Authority (SHA) against clinical officers as one of their motivations for the strike.
“If we do not have an end to the impunity in the Social Health Authority and we do not have full implementation of the return-to-work agreement of 2024, all the clinical officers in the 47 counties under the Ministry of Health shall proceed on strike as from midnight of January 19, 2025,” Wachira stated.
In July 2024, the union called off its 99-day strike after signing a CBA with county governments.
However, two months later, in September, the deal had yet to be established, and they once again issued a 30-day strike notice listing a flurry of demands.
“It is unfortunate that even after 99 days of strike action and clear directions from the court, the Council of Governors has reverted to the old frustrating tactics of inviting the union to negotiate with individual counties against our agreement and court directives. This is a clear breach of agreement and a sign of lack of goodwill,” the statement read in part.
Consequently, a return-to-work agreement was signed, once again shelving the strike, a promise that has since been broken.
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and Council of Governors representatives during the signing of return to work formula on July 8, 2024.
Photo
Council of Governors