Clinical officers in Machakos County have issued a seven-day strike notice following the collapse of talks with the county government over a long-standing employment agreement.
Speaking at Machakos Level 5 Hospital on Friday, Peterson Wachira, National Chairman of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), said union representatives waited for more than three hours for scheduled talks with county officials, only to be met with silence.
“We were invited for what was supposed to be a signing ceremony for an already-negotiated agreement. Unfortunately, we were kept waiting since 2pm and no county official showed up. It’s a clear sign of bad faith,” said Wachira.
The clinicians accuse the county government of repeatedly violating a court order mandating the implementation of promotions and salary adjustments, which were to take effect in May 2025. They claim the governor had previously committed to these changes, but no progress has been made since December 2024.
“If the agreement is not signed within the next seven days, we will have no choice but to withdraw the services of all clinical officers from county health facilities,” Wachira warned.
KUCO Secretary General George Gibore added that over 300 clinicians have been affected by the stalled implementation. He noted that despite the availability of funds in the previous budget cycle, the county has ignored their grievances.
“We have fully resolved to begin the countdown from tomorrow. If by the end of the notice the county still refuses to act, we will down our tools. We have honored our end of the court ruling, and now it’s their turn,” said Gibore.
Boniface Mitambo, the union’s Deputy Chairperson, cited multiple grievances, including delayed promotions, ignored designations, and the county’s failure to adopt a new clinical officers’ career guide already approved by the national government.
“Every time we engage the county with set timelines, they push the dates further. It’s evident they have no intention of honoring the court directive or the negotiation outcomes,” said Mitambo.
In response, Machakos Health Executive Justus Kasivu, speaking in a phone interview, said the agreement is ready and is expected to be signed next week, though no specific date was confirmed.
The union, however, remains firm in its stance and has begun advising patients to prepare for a possible disruption of services in county health facilities should the impasse persist.
Written by Ian Maleve
