The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) urged members to gear up for a nationwide strike. It starts at midnight on Monday, December 22, 2025. Unresolved issues with the Ministry of Health and county governments sparked the action.
Public health centers across Kenya will feel the impact. This includes sites with specialists and clinical interns.
KUCO’s National Chairman’s office shared a statement on X. It came on December 21, 2025. The post read: “Prepare for strike!! A call to rise, defend professional dignity and reclaim respect!”
The union recalled a strike notice from December 2, 2025. A Special Delegates Conference approved it.
The statement said all clinical officers under the Ministry of Health and county governments must strike. This covers specialists and interns too. The action begins at midnight on December 22.
Key disputes remain.
These cover the Ministry of Health’s refusal to sign the finished CBA. County governments, via the Council of Governors, have not wrapped up the CBA as per the July 2024 RTWF. Counties also ignored SRC advice on the third and fourth salary raise cycles. Employers failed to shift UHC and Global Fund workers to permanent and pensionable terms or pay their dues. They showed contempt for the July RTWF, which a court adopted, and other branch RTWAs.
KUCO said talks with employers went nowhere. “Employers showed no real effort or good faith,” the statement noted. The strike now seems unavoidable.
The union listed strike gains. These include better house rent allowance. They want career guidelines in the CBA. Salary, house, and commuter allowances should rise as SRC directed. Workers seek dignity and respect too.
KUCO stressed unity. “We all must join in. The NEC will negotiate. Stay on strike until the union says stop. Report any bullying or threats to branch leaders. Do not reply to employer warnings yourself.”
Solidarity matters. “The union’s power comes from members’ unity. Strikes test that bond.”
Kenya nears the holiday season. Health needs often spike then. The strike could disrupt services countrywide.
