Clinicians suspend strike with ultimatums to the government
Striking clinicians yesterday suspended their two-day strike with a demand that the government implements all the resolutions reached between the two parties within three weeks.
If this is not met, the medics vowed to continue with the industrial action.
However, for now, it’s a sigh of relief for patients in the country as the clinical officers announced suspension of their industrial strike which commenced on Sunday night for the next 21 days effective Monday, January 27, 2025.
This follows successful meetings held on Monday this week bringing together the Ministry of Health and Council of Governors and on Tuesday between Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja (CoG Labour Committee Chair) and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers.
“Therefore, the main purpose here is to say that we hereby suspend our strike for the next 21 days, and I must clarify that 21 days begin Monday, because Monday will be the first day when the team will be meeting,” announced Kuco Secretary General, George Gibore during a media briefing at the Union head office.
He stated that the Union expects that within 21 days the outstanding issues, contained in a few remaining clauses on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
This, Gibore said will pave the way for the finalisation on the issues of the Global Fund where some of the clinical officers were contracted, and also inclusion, or rather ensuring that the money to guarantee transition of the Union’s members under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to Permanent and Pensionable is also captured on the ongoing budgetary process.
However, the clinical officers will continue to ground services in four counties that have specific issues that are county-based.
“When we had the Advisory Council meeting, we made a very clear agreement or rather decision that we are excluding specific counties that have specific issues which are county-based, and this counties include Lamu, Kwale, Vihiga, and Uasin Gishu,” he announced. Those counties according to Gibore are not subject to the suspension.
“But also, we have made a deliberate decision in terms of those who are also hostile, difficult, and are not implementing the agreement that we had previously and in the proper manner that we expect,” he said.
Those counties include, Kakamega, Bungoma, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Kisumu, Kiambu, Homa Bay, Nyamira, Mandera, Garissa, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Isiolo, and Masabit.
“And again, it will shock you that also the National Referral Hospital, that’s KNH is also included in this list,” he said, noting that they are the entities that the Union put on notice by virtue of not adhering to the return to work formula that they had.
The Union gave these particular counties a notice for 7 days or 14 days as members shall agree so that they commence an industrial action.
The union’s chairman, Peterson Wachira commended some of the counties that have already implemented the return to work formula, partially though. These include Nairobi, Murang’a and Machakos.