Clinical officers protest in Eldoret, vow to boycott work until state meets their demands

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) says its members will sustain the ongoing strike until when the government meets their demands to improve working conditions.

National officials of the union led by Chairman Peterson Wachira and Secretary General George Gibore vowed not to end the strike that has now lasted more than three months.

The officials who led a street protest in Eldoret said the government had only met one demand.

“The government has gone on strike as concerns our issues and we have also opted to remain on strike as long as it will take," said Gibore.

He said the government had also failed to implement negotiated risk allowances for clinical officers since 2021.

They also want the government to finalise the pending CBA since 2017 and accused the government of walking out of talks in 2022

Gibore said they also want all clinical officers in the public sector to get comprehensive medical coverage.

“We are also demanding that all UHC staff be absorbed to permanent terms so that they also earn proper salaries and not the peanuts they get currently," said Gibore.

The union is also demanding the employment of more clinicians to serve at all hospitals noting that in Uasin Gishu county alone 17 hospitals were operating without any clinical officers.

Wachira regretted that in the budget estimates no money had been set aside for the employment of new staff

He said they also want their medical interns paid as approved by the Public Service Commission

“We tabled our ten demands on March 10 and since then nothing much has been done and so we remain on strike”, said Wachira.

The union accuses the government of disobeying a court order to agree on a return-to-work formula

“We are not the problem but the government which pledges one thing but does the opposite," said Gibore.

He said the strike was not about clinical officers but about the medical services offered to Kenyans.