‘Not every Kenyan can access healthcare’ – Kenya Union of Clinical Officers reveal reasons behind nationwide strike

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has pointed to administrative decisions made by the Social Health Authority (SHA) board as a key reason for their ongoing nationwide strike.

The clinical officers initiated their strike on January 21, 2025, following a 14-day notice issued on January 7, 2025.

In an interview with a local media station on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, KUCO chairperson Peterson Wachira explained that the authority’s restrictive decisions were hindering Kenya’s healthcare regulations and policies.

“When it comes to regulation, we are doing excellent. We have the best laws on the land, the best policies, and the best guidelines – in fact, other countries are borrowing them and actually doing better. But then when it comes to the service and this is where we have an issue; this is the reason why we are on a strike,” Wachira said.

Cause of their problem

He identified SHA’s decision to only recognize the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) as a fundamental cause of their problems.

“There’s an administrative policy decision that has been made by a few people that are denying Kenyans access and this is one of the reasons actually as to why we’re on strike…Some people sat at the SHA board and decided that clinical officers cannot serve Kenyans through the Social Health Authority,” Wachira stated.

Wachira criticized this policy, arguing that it contradicts existing healthcare protocols requiring that patients be seen at Levels 2 and 3 facilities—primarily staffed by clinical officers—before being referred to Level 4 facilities.

“Clinical officers provide care to over 90 per cent of Kenyans. According to current regulations, every Kenyan is required to go through Levels 2 and 3 of the healthcare system before being referred to Level 4, where only clinical officers are available as clinicians. This situation implies that 100 per cent of Kenyans cannot be seen by clinical officers, which we view as self-sabotaging,” he said.

Furthermore, the union leader questioned the rationale behind collecting 2.75 per cent of citizens’ incomes for healthcare if access is being denied.

“When you tell people that we want you to give us 2.75 per cent of your money so that you can provide for them health but then you deny them access to the same is self-sabotaging,” he concluded.

KUCO disclosed that the industrial action was prompted by their exclusion from the newly implemented SHA system and breaches of a previous return-to-work agreement signed last year.

The officers stated they would not return to work until the government met their demands.