Clinical officers at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) have called off their strike after signing a return-to-work formula with the hospital’s management, ending a strike that began on December 23, 2025.

The agreement was reached on Friday afternoon following two days of negotiations between the MTRH administration and officials of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO).

MTRH now becomes the first institution in the country to reach and sign a return-to-work agreement with striking clinical officers, even as the strike continues in county and national government health facilities.

MTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr Philip Kirwa said all issues raised by the clinical officers had been discussed and resolved, paving the way for their immediate return to work.

“Today, after discussions and agreements, we are in the process of signing a return-to-work formula to ensure our clinical officers resume duty. Essentially, all the issues they raised have been discussed and resolved,” said Dr. Kirwa.

He noted that while negotiations require compromise, the agreement was reached in the spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding, adding that the biggest beneficiaries would be patients seeking services at the referral hospital.

Branch secretary welcomes deal

KUCO MTRH Branch Secretary Exellier Wamalwa described the agreement as a significant step toward rebuilding trust between clinical officers and the hospital administration.

“This forms a basis of trust between clinical officers at MTRH and the administration, and we are proud to be the first institution to sign a return-to-work formula,” Wamalwa said.

KUCO Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer George Gibore commended the MTRH management for demonstrating goodwill by engaging in dialogue but criticised other employers for failing to address similar concerns.

He said the union had followed all laid-down labour procedures, including issuing a 21-day strike notice, but the employer has not engaged them. Gibore noted that while services are set to resume at MTRH, the strike remains ongoing in other public health facilities.

“The strike is still on in other areas. County and national government facilities remain fully affected,” he said.

Gibore questioned the silence of the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors (CoG), accusing them of failing to implement existing agreements and finalise a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

KUCO Chairman’s remarks

National KUCO Chairman Peterson Wachira echoed the sentiments, emphasising that the agreement primarily serves the interests of patients.

“This agreement benefits patients more than it benefits clinical officers. It is negligence when officials fail to sign a CBA that would allow health workers to return to work and serve Kenyans,” Wachira said.

He called on Kenyans to hold elected leaders accountable and appealed to President William Ruto to intervene and prevail upon the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors to conclude negotiations.

With the signing of the agreement, services at MTRH are expected to normalise as clinical officers resume duty, even as uncertainty continues to cloud healthcare delivery in other public institutions where the strike remains unresolved.