Clinical officers have officially ended their 36-day strike after signing a return-to-work agreement with the Council of Governors (CoG), paving the way for normal healthcare services to resume across Kenya.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Secretary General George Gibore confirmed that all members would immediately resume their duties.
“County governments must fulfill their responsibilities. When they do, we will be there to provide the necessary support. As we have stated, the strike is suspended, and our members will return to work starting today and not exceeding 24 hours as agreed. I will also issue a notice to coordinate with our members and inform the employer that we have agreed for our members to resume duties,” Gibore said.
The agreement, a formal Return-to-Work formula, requires all KUCO members to report back to their stations without delay.
Earlier Wednesday, union members demonstrated peacefully outside the Ministry of Health headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi, highlighting longstanding grievances over working conditions, pay, and implementation of previous agreements. Clinical officers carried placards and chanted slogans calling for the government to honor commitments under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and recognize their professional status.
The industrial action had disrupted services in numerous public hospitals and health facilities for more than five weeks. Union leaders said stalled negotiations contributed to the prolonged strike, leaving patients in public hospitals without critical care.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale previously urged the union to engage all relevant stakeholders to broaden the scope of the current CBA, signaling the government’s commitment to resolving the dispute.
With the strike now suspended, healthcare services are expected to stabilize as clinical officers return to work nationwide, bringing relief to patients and hospital staff alike.
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