Clinical officers will down their tools starting at midnight on Monday, December 22, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has announced.

The strike followed the expiration of a 21-day notice period, with KUCO citing long-standing disputes with the Ministry of Health and county governments.

The union’s demands focused on critical issues, including the immediate signing and implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) finalised in August 2025, and backdated promotions

Additionally, they raised issues on the absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Global Fund staff into permanent and pensionable positions and the payment of salary arrears in some counties that had reportedly accumulated up to 16 months. 

Read Also: President Ruto Orders Transmara Residents To Surrender Illegal Firearms Immediately

Other key demands included recognition under the Social Health Authority (SHA), restoration of pre-authorisation rights for clinical specialists, and the implementation of risk, house, and commuter allowances.

Clinical officers, who provided nearly 99 per cent of outpatient services in Kenya, were the backbone of the country’s primary healthcare system. With the strike in effect, services across Levels 2 to 5 public hospitals will be severely limited. 

Maternal care, emergency services, routine outpatient consultations, and disease control programmes will all be affected.

Clinical interns would also stay away from work, disrupting training and ongoing medical education nationwide.

Attempts by the government to stop the strike failed. KUCO leaders accused the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors of delaying negotiations and showing little goodwill in resolving the disputes. 

While the Ministry of Finance addressed some financial aspects, the union said only a fraction of its 19-point demands had been met.

The strike was legally protected, with court orders preventing intimidation of union members.

KUCO instructed its members to maintain the strike until a formal settlement was signed and fully implemented.