Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Clinical officers have issued a 14-day strike notice to the government over what they term as discrimination from the Social Health Authority (SHA) and a breach of a return-to-work agreement by the government.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) claimed that the government has excluded all clinical officers from offering services through SHA.

“The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers has noted with concern the discrimination by Social Health Authority which has in effect excluded all clinical officers from offering services through SHA. This discrimination and exclusion has been occasioned by the blatant, illegal and illogical refusal by Social Health Authority to recognize the facilities and practitioners registered and licensed by Clinical Officers Council,” KUCO Secretary General George Gibore stated.

“Many Kenyans have suffered and continue to suffer due to lack of critical services offered by Clinical Officers across the country with most of them paying out-of-pocket exposing them to financial hardships against SHA and UHC objectives.”

According to Gibore, clinical officers are being coerced to license their facilities with Kenya Medical Practitioners Dentist Council (KMPDC) for their facilities to be empanelled or contracted, which he says is subjecting them to double licensure.

“Specialized Clinical Officers are being forced to use KMPDC license numbers from medical officers for pre-authorization which is illegal and has resulted in extortion. We see these as acts of regularized corruption and pursuit of self-interests rather than the common good. We have done numerous letters and petitions to all concerned offices over the past two months including Memorandum to the President, Petition to Senate and National Assembly, Ministry of Health and Social Health Authority without any response,” he added.

The clinical officers have also accused the government of breaching the return-to-work agreement of 2024, which entailed a collective bargaining agreement which was to be implemented within 60 days, promotions and redesignations which were to be implemented before September 1, 2024, a comprehensive medical cover, confirmation of UHC clinical officers and conversion of all short-term contracts for clinical officers into permanent and pensionable terms.

“The Union and Employers (Ministry of Health and County Governments) entered into a Return-to-Work Agreement (RTWA) following ninety-nine (99) days of strike under County Governments and one hundred and twenty-one (121) days under Ministry of health directed by the Employment and Labour Relations Court. It is unfortunate that despite efforts from the Union to follow up and expedite implementation of this agreement, employers especially County Governments have remained adamant,” Gibore added.

The clinical officers are demanding immediate and unconditional recognition and empanelment of health providers and practitioners registered and licensed by the Clinical Officers Council.

They also want the Social Health Authority board to immediately reinstate pre-authorization rights to clinical officers including specialists.

They are also demanding a full implementation of the return-to-work agreement between the union and the Ministry of Health and 47 county governments before January 19, 2025.

“In view of these issues remaining unresolved past the agreed timelines and owing to lack of goodwill from the governments and responsible state agencies, the union has now resolved to invoke Article 41 of the Constitution of Kenya; read together with the relevant provisions of the law and call for a strike commencing after the midnight of 19th January, 2025 until all the outstanding issues are adequately resolved,” Gibore added.

“In the intervening period, we remain available for a constructive social dialogue with the Government and other key stakeholders for an amicable settlement of the issues in dispute.”