The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has officially ended its prolonged strike following a return-to-work agreement signed with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Council of Governors (COG).
The ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, confirmed that clinical officers have been directed to resume duty within 24 hours after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement was finalized at Afya House in a meeting led by Health CS Deborah Barasa and COG Chairman Governor Ahmed Abdullahi.
“The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has called off its strike and directed members to resume duty within 24 hours following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors. The agreement was signed today at Afya House in a meeting led by Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, and COG Chairman, Governor Ahmed Abdullahi,” the ministry stated.
The strike, which began on February 17, 2025, disrupted Kenya’s healthcare system, leaving thousands of patients without essential medical services. KUCO issued a strike notice on February 13, demanding the implementation of the return-to-work formula (RTWF) they had signed with the government in 2024. Despite numerous negotiations, an agreement was not reached in time to prevent the industrial action.
“Our union (KUCO) has announced a Clinical Officers’ strike commencing at midnight today due to various issues, such as the inability of our cadre to preauthorize, UHC, and CBA,” he stated.
Adding;
“As the leadership of the association, we fully support the Union and therefore call upon you to accord them the necessary support for the goal to be achieved,” he added.
The situation was further exacerbated when over 300 doctors from Nairobi County joined the strike on February 28, citing grievances such as illegal salary stoppages, stalled promotions, delayed gratuities, and unpaid confirmation letters. This widened the healthcare crisis, affecting public hospitals nationwide.
Unmet promises
Clinical officers were particularly concerned about the government’s failure to honor agreements made in previous negotiations. KUCO National Chairperson Peter Wachira had warned on January 7, 2025, that members would go on strike if the commitments made in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from September 2024 were not met. Among their grievances were the lack of full implementation of the 2024 return-to-work agreement and discrimination by the Social Health Authority (SHA) against clinical officers.
“If we do not have an end to the impunity in the Social Health Authority and we do not have full implementation of the return-to-work agreement of 2024, all the clinical officers in the 47 counties under the Ministry of Health shall proceed on strike as from midnight of January 19, 2025,” Wachira stated.
The strike also saw support from the National Association of Clinical Officers Anaesthetists (NACOA). NACOA Secretary General Daniel Kithome urged members to participate in the industrial action, expressing disappointment over persistent issues such as clinical officers’ inability to preauthorize procedures under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program and the non-implementation of their CBA.
In July 2024, KUCO ended a 99-day strike after signing a CBA with county governments. However, by September 2024, the union accused the COG of failing to honor the agreement, prompting another 30-day strike notice. KUCO criticized the COG for attempting to negotiate with individual counties instead of implementing the national-level agreement, calling it a breach of trust and a violation of court directives.
