Clinical officers: What government must do for us to return to work

KUCO National Chairman Peterson Wachira. [File, Standard]

Clinical officers have vowed to continue with the industrial action should the government fail to meet some of their demands.

Their strike which began ten days ago has worsened the crisis in the health sector.

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) National Chairman, Peterson Wachira, speaking on Spice FM said they will pursue the strike route to the end, arguing that other conflict resolution avenues have failed, including the courts.

Their demands, Wachira says, are not new.

Clinicians want an enhancement of their risk allowance agreed on in 2021 with the then CS for Health Mutahi Kagwe.

This, they say was encompassed in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which was never finalised since deliberations began in 2019.

The employer-employee relationship has further been strained following the adoption of career progression guidelines to determine grading and promotions. The Union complied despite rooting for a scheme of service that the Health Ministry has not updated since 2018.

KUCO is also pushing for the employment of their colleagues under the Universal Healthcare (UHC) programme. The union wants clinicians to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

According to Wachira, some of the essential workers are working on half pay without a promotion in six years.

KUCO also wants doctors who were “sacked” by Kirinyaga County in 2019 for participating in a strike to be reinstated.

“The Public Service Commission gave a directive to reinstate these people because they were not dismissed properly.  That has not happened,” said Wachira.

Another contentious issue arises from a proposal by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to have the pay advanced to interns reduced from Sh105,000 to Sh50,000 for degree holders. The body, however, proposes an increase from Sh15,000 to Sh35,000 for diploma qualification.

Clinical officers followed in the footsteps of doctors who deserted their workstations and began a nationwide strike on March 14 to oppose a downward review of intern stipends and a delay in the deployment of intern doctors among other concerns.

Wachira insists the strike is lawful despite opposition from governors and Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.