By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 8 June 2026 - Public health services across Kisumu County have been thrown into disarray after clinical officers downed their tools, accusing the county government of years of neglect and a persistent refusal to address grievances affecting frontline healthcare workers.
The strike, now entering its third day, has crippled operations in major public health facilities, with outpatient services, specialist clinics and key admission units either closed or operating below capacity. Patients seeking treatment have borne the brunt of the industrial action as healthcare workers insist they will not return to work until their demands are met.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Kisumu branch chairman Vincent Owaa accused the county administration of ignoring repeated appeals for dialogue despite a month-long effort by the union to secure engagement on critical workplace concerns.
According to Owaa, clinical officers have been subjected to delayed salaries, stalled promotions, poor staff designation, chronic shortages of personnel, inadequate drugs and medical equipment, and the continued failure by the county to sign a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated nationally.
"There are issues to do with CBA signing, perennial salary delays, promotions, designation of our members, shortage of staff, drugs and equipment in our facilities and the scheme of service for clinical officers, yet our employer has remained quiet and made no attempt to resolve them," he said.
At the centre of the dispute is Kisumu County's refusal to sign the recently negotiated CBA for clinical officers. Union officials argue that while county representatives participated in national negotiations in Nairobi, they declined to append their signatures to the agreement, making Kisumu one of the few counties yet to implement the deal.
Owaa termed the move unjustifiable, arguing that the county possesses both the capacity and legal obligation to honour the agreement.
"All the other counties were signing, but Kisumu County refused to sign the CBA for clinical officers for reasons best known to them. We wrote seeking an explanation and they have not communicated to us," he added.
The union says the strike followed a series of ignored warnings. KUCO Kisumu branch secretary Craus Okumu revealed that officials first issued a protest letter, followed by a reminder and eventually a formal strike notice. None received a response from county authorities.
Following the expiry of the strike notice on 4 June 2026, clinical officers withdrew their labour, triggering widespread disruption in healthcare delivery.
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"The ophthalmology clinics are closed, the ENT clinics are closed, the outpatient department is closed and the inpatient department is struggling because there are no clinical officers to admit and manage patients," said Okumu.
Beyond the CBA, the union is demanding implementation of an enhanced risk allowance negotiated nationally and increased from Sh3,000 to Sh7,000. Officials say Kisumu County has failed to effect the adjustment despite agreements reached at the national level.
The workers are also protesting the delayed implementation of a career progression framework approved in 2024 and later affirmed by a court ruling in 2025. According to the union, recent recruitment advertisements issued by the county contradict the framework and undermine professional advancement for clinical officers.
Further aggravating tensions are claims of persistent salary delays, with some workers reportedly going for months without pay. Union leaders say the delays have caused severe financial hardship and lowered morale among healthcare personnel.
They also faulted the county's medical insurance scheme, alleging that employees continue to encounter frequent service interruptions whenever they seek treatment at accredited facilities.
The strike has exposed deepening cracks within Kisumu's healthcare system and renewed debate over the welfare of frontline medical workers. As patients continue to face reduced access to critical services, pressure is mounting on the county government to break its silence and return to the negotiating table before the standoff escalates into a full-blown healthcare crisis.
For now, the union remains adamant. No services will resume until the county addresses its demands on the CBA, salaries, promotions, staffing levels, risk allowances and working conditions. The longer the impasse drags on, the heavier the burden on patients who depend on public health facilities for care.