Medical services in public health facilities across Bomet County have been disrupted after clinical officers began an indefinite strike over unresolved labour grievances.

The industrial action, led by the Kenya Clinical Officers Association (KCOA) Bomet Chapter, has affected healthcare services across the county, with patients forced to seek treatment elsewhere as the standoff continues.

Speaking to the media at Bomet town on Thursday, July 9, 2026, KCOA Bomet Branch Secretary Timothy Kipkoech said the union resorted to the strike after the county government allegedly failed to resolve several long-standing issues affecting clinical officers despite repeated engagements.

“The issues that have made us resort to this industrial action are the failure to sign and implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), failure to redesignate and promote clinical officers, failure to implement payment of arrears based on SRC rates, and the unresolved status of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff who remain on contract,” Kipkoech said.

Kipkoech also accused the County Public Service Board of frustrating efforts to implement agreements reached after a previous strike.

“We have an issue with the current County Public Service Board of Bomet, whereby the vice chair seems to be a stumbling block to the implementation, signing and adoption of the CBA as agreed in the return-to-work formula during our previous strike. We therefore urge the governor to look into this issue,” he said.

“We also realised that the recent advert for clinical officers was not well done. The current career guidelines provide that clinical officers should enter the service at Job Group J, whereas Bomet is still advertising at Job Group H. Other counties have implemented these guidelines, and we really wonder what is happening in Bomet,” he said.

Until further notice

He added that the union wants all the grievances addressed comprehensively before clinical officers can resume duty.

“We are asking that these issues be looked into and addressed in totality. Beginning midnight today, and going into the future until our issues are addressed, clinical officer services are going to be hampered in all healthcare facilities, from dispensaries and health centres to sub-county hospitals and the county referral hospital,” he said.

Kipkoech accused the county government of failing to honour agreements reached with the union, saying healthcare workers had exhausted all available avenues of engagement.

He maintained that clinical officers will not return to work until the county government fully implements the CBA, effects promotions and redesignations, pays the outstanding salary arrears, and resolves the employment concerns affecting UHC staff.