Peterson Wachira, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers, says the government has failed to deliver on promises to harmonise salaries and offer permanent contracts to thousands of UHC workers hired on contract since 2020. These workers, many of whom serve at primary healthcare facilities, earn less than half the pay of their permanent counterparts and have gone unpaid for months.

“This is not just a labour issue, it is a breach of the rights of both health workers and Kenyan patients,” Wachira said, describing how widespread facility closures have forced citizens to turn to costly private care.

Despite stalled negotiations and a government proposal to delay salary adjustments until 2026, unions remain resolute. They plan a major demonstration in Nairobi and will appeal to Parliament to allocate urgent funding during the current budget process.

The prolonged strike has taken a severe toll on workers’ welfare, with rising cases of mental health issues and tragic incidents linked to financial stress.

As legal action risks lengthy delays, the unions say striking remains the only viable path to securing fair treatment and protecting Kenya’s universal health ambitions. The standoff exposes critical weaknesses in the country’s healthcare system and governance, calling for swift government intervention.

--ChannelAfrica--