By Hassan Wekesa - Editor
Kenya, 28 November 2025 – Clinical officers have given the government 21 days to honour and fully implement the pay and promotion deal, warning that they will begin a nationwide strike on 23 December 2025 if nothing is done.
They start counting the three-week period from Monday next week before they down their tools across all 47 counties. The clinical officers said that they signed a pay and promotion deal in 2024 that is yet to be honoured by both the national and county governments.
The Kenya National Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) says a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was fully agreed and funded more than a year ago, but Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has still not signed it.
The same issues forced a 99-day strike in 2024, which was called off on 8 July 2024.
KUCO chairperson Peterson Wachira told journalists after a delegates’ meeting in Machakos that clinical officers do not want to strike, but the Cabinet Secretary and the governors are leaving them with no choice.
"There is still time to sign the CBA and stop this,” Mr Wachira said.
If the strike goes ahead, clinical officers in every county hospital and referral facility will paralyse health delivery services.
Secretary-General George Gibore said the main demands are simple.
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"All the government has to do is to follow court orders on promotions, move staff to permanent and pensionable terms, and carry out redesignations that were due by September 2024," Mr Gibore said.
Deputy chairperson Boniface Mitambo praised Machakos County for already promoting 201 out of 212 clinical officers, proving the changes can be done quickly when county leaders want to.
The union represents more than 30,000 clinical officers who run most outpatient clinics and health centres across Kenya.
The new threat comes only weeks after the government ended a 49-day lecturers’ strike on 5 November 2025 by agreeing to pay billions in arrears and start fresh salary talks. That deal brought university students back to class.
KUCO leaders will formally serve the strike notice on Monday.
Patients will most likely suffer if the government does not act fast, but they feel their rights have been ignored for too long.
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