Health workers threaten strike in 21 days over UHC jobs

Universal Health Coverage protest outside Ministry of Health offices in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Kenya’s healthcare workers have threatened to down their tools in 21 days if the government fails to resolve the stalemate over the absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff into permanent and pensionable terms.

The Kenya Health Caucus, which brings together various health sector unions, said the Council of Governors (CoG) has frustrated the process despite a parliamentary directive and the allocation of funds in the 2025/2026 budget.

Speaking in Nairobi on Monday at the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) headquarters, KUCO Secretary General George Gibore said the CoG’s recent declaration disregarded lawful directives and worsened the crisis facing healthcare workers.

“We take strong exception to the CoG declaration, which exacerbates long-standing problems facing health workers rather than resolving them. Healthcare workers cannot and will not tolerate continued systemic injustice, impunity, and blatant constitutional violations,” said Gibore.

The unions are demanding that all UHC workers be absorbed into permanent and pensionable terms by September 30, 2025, backdated to July 1. They also want exploitative contracts issued by counties regularised in line with the Constitution and labour laws.

In addition, the caucus has called for the immediate resumption of union dues deductions, the finalisation of Recognition Agreements and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) in counties such as Kiambu, Kirinyaga and Tharaka Nithi, timely payment of salaries and statutory deductions, and protection of the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) mandate in developing career progression guidelines (CPGs).

The caucus accused some counties of intimidation and punitive measures against UHC staff who participated in protests earlier this year, including withholding salaries and stopping union deductions.

“Such actions are punitive, discriminatory and contrary to fair labour practice. They violate the Employment Act, Labour Relations Act, constitutional provisions and international decent work standards,” Gibore said.

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The caucus accused some counties of intimidation and punitive measures against UHC staff who participated in protests earlier this year, including withholding salaries and stopping union deductions.

The unions also criticised the CoG for declining to implement a directive issued by the joint Senate and National Assembly Health Committee on September 2, 2024, requiring the Ministry of Health and governors to convert UHC contracts to permanent and pensionable terms.

Instead, the governors cited a 2023 Intergovernmental Summit resolution to justify maintaining short-term contracts, raising what the unions say is a constitutional crisis over whether Parliament or the Governors’ Summit holds superior authority in national matters.

The health caucus further condemned CoG’s attempt to instruct the PSC to withdraw already approved career progression guidelines for healthcare workers, terming the move unconstitutional.

“The PSC is an independent constitutional commission. Health policy is a national government function, while counties are responsible for service delivery. Labour standards and national policy instruments such as career progression guidelines remain a national function that counties cannot lawfully override,” said Gibore.

The unions have called on Parliament to investigate what they described as “the mistreatment of healthcare workers” by county governments and provide lasting remedies.

Unless their demands are met within the next three weeks, the health caucus warned, the country should brace for a nationwide strike that could cripple services across all 47 counties.