Public health
services across the country face disruption after the Health Union
Caucus announced a nationwide strike beginning midnight Monday, July
20, over what they termed as failure by the Council of Governors (CoG) to address
long-standing concerns over workers’ welfare, job security and
employment terms.
In a press statement
issued Tuesday, the caucus said it had been left with no option but
to call industrial action after what it described as weeks of silence
following demands submitted on June 15.
The unions said
repeated efforts to engage county governments had failed to yield
progress, despite raising issues affecting thousands of healthcare
workers across the country.
“The nationwide
strike shall commence at 12:00 midnight on Monday, July 20, 2026,”
the statement reads.
According to the
unions, the continued failure by the CoG to respond to their
grievances has violated labour laws and constitutional guarantees
protecting workers’ rights.
“Despite clear
and urgent demands issued by the Health Union Caucus on June 15, 2026 regarding the welfare and job security of healthcare workers,
the Council of Governors has persistently failed to acknowledge or
act on these grievances,” the unions said.
The caucus argued
that the prolonged inaction has created widespread uncertainty among
health workers, many of whom continue serving under temporary
contracts without adequate employment benefits.
Among the key
demands is the immediate conversion of all eligible Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) and Global Fund healthcare workers to permanent and
pensionable terms, accompanied by the issuance of appointment
letters.
The unions are also
demanding full implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement
(CBA) by county governments that are yet to sign it, alongside full
implementation of obligations contained in the Return-to-Work Formula
signed on January 28, 2026.
In addition, they
want county governments to sign recognition agreements to facilitate
lawful industrial relations processes.
“These workers
are working under a very demotivating environment shrouded in
confusion and uncertainty regarding their jobs and without medical
cover for themselves and their dependents,” the statement says.
The unions further
accused authorities of exposing healthcare workers to financial
insecurity through continued delays in resolving employment disputes.
They maintained that
industrial action had become unavoidable after exhausting available
avenues for dialogue.
“The
authorities’ inaction has created an environment of job insecurity
and financial neglect that is no longer tenable,” the statement
adds.
Even as they prepare
for the strike, the unions said they remain open to negotiations if
meaningful action is taken before the planned walkout.
“We remain
committed to constructive engagement and meaningful social dialogue
aimed at amicably resolving these disputes,” the caucus said.
The statement was
signed on behalf of the Health Union Caucus by chairperson Peterson
Wachira and officials representing several health sector unions,
including the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya National
Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO).
Others are Kenya Union of
Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUNAD), Kenya National Union of
Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT), the Kenya Health Professionals
Society (KHPS), the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health
Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) and the National Union of Biomedical
Engineers of Kenya (NUBEK).
