KISUMU, 8th June 2026 -The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Kisumu Branch has declared that its ongoing three-day strike will continue indefinitely.
Union leaders insist that the county government must honour their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) before any members return to work.
Led by Branch Chairman Victor Owaa and Secretary General Klaus Okumu, the union has accused the county administration of deliberately ignoring a series of protest letters and formal strike notices. Clinical officers officially withdrew their services on Friday, June 5, 2026, shutting down essential departments across public health facilities in Kisumu County.
According to union leadership, the national KUCO office centrally negotiated and signed a nationwide CBA in Nairobi a month ago. Representatives from Kisumu County including the Chief Officer, County Executive Committee (CEC) member Dr Gregory Ganda, County Public Service Board Chair, and County Secretary attended the signing ceremony but refused to execute the document for Kisumu clinicians.
The union highlights several unresolved issues that forced the industrial action such as the refusal to sign the CBA.
“Out of Kenya’s 47 counties, Kisumu remains one of the few administrations that have declined to sign the localised agreement despite having the resources to do so,” they claimed.
The county has also failed to implement an approved, centrally negotiated return-to-work agreement that enhances risk allowances from Sh3,000 to Sh7,000.
In what they term Regressive Career Progression, Kisumu County published job advertisements downgrading incoming clinicians back to Job Group H, despite a 2025 court ruling upholding an established career progression framework approved in 2024.
Union officials spotlighted the perennial salary delays stating that Kisumu consistently pays its healthcare workforce later than any other county in Kenya. As of June 8, numerous members have yet to receive their May salaries, and some are still owed payments from April.
The strike is also fueled by long-standing shortages of active personnel, essential pharmaceuticals, and basic medical equipment across regional facilities.
‘Insurance Fraud’
KUCO leadership launched sharp criticisms against the county’s current staff medical coverage, calling the choice of Madison Insurance an unreliable and corrupt scheme.
Union representatives claim the insurer routinely fluctuates its coverage availability, with hospitals like Avenue Healthcare accepting the provider one day and turning patients away the next.
The union alleges that county officials bypass workers during contract renewal periods to secure corporate kickbacks in boardrooms rather than negotiating a comprehensive, stable insurance alternative.
Additionally, the union addressed back-to-work directives circulated by the county’s director of medical services. Secretary General Ogembo stated that the union has zero legal obligation to correspond with the medical director, noting that formal notifications are legally directed to the County Secretary as the head of public service, the CECM, and the Public Service Board.
The strike has paralysed major public health sectors across the lakeside county with Ophthalmology clinics, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinics, and outpatient departments completely closed. Inpatient wards and operating theatres are currently struggling to function with minimal staffing, heavily relying on thin numbers of remaining nursing personnel to manage admitted patients.
Union leaders have advised members of the public to stay away from Kisumu County public health facilities, warning that qualified clinical officers are no longer present to administer treatment.
Emphasising that the strike is legally protected under the labour movement framework, KUCO leadership has urged all members to remain home and resist intimidation until the county government schedules formal, transparent negotiations to address their welfare and working conditions.
