KWALE, County—Clinical officers in Kwale have resumed duty after the county government reached an agreement with their union, ending an industrial action that had affected services in public health facilities.
The agreement was reached following consultations between the County Government of Kwale and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) over a number of grievances raised by the healthcare workers.
The concerns included implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), payment of salary arrears, promotions, recruitment of additional clinical officers and implementation of career progression guidelines.
According to the county government, the agreement provides for implementation of career progression guidelines, which will establish clear entry points, promotion pathways and redesignation procedures for clinical officers.
The county also committed to fast-track the issuance of Permanent and Pensionable (P&P) appointment letters for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers through the Ministry of Health.
The county government said the agreement will allow healthcare services to return to normal across Kwale while providing a framework for addressing the employment concerns raised by clinical officers.
The latest development follows negotiations between the two sides aimed at resolving the issues that triggered the strike. A response from KUCO on the agreement and whether all the outstanding grievances have been fully addressed will provide a clearer picture of the settlement.
