Clinical officers will begin their strike today despite calls by the Health ministry to allow room for talks.
This comes after failed negotiations between union officials and the Council of Governors. Speaking in Nairobi, Union of Kenya Clinical Officers chairman George Gibore said they did not reach a consensus on Monday.
Officials had raised concern over the CoG’s management of health since devolution. “The process of devolving health services is inconsistent with the Constitution because no health law has been established to oversee the whole process,” Gibore said
Health CS Cleopa Mailu (pictured) asked clinical officers to make room for dialogue to resolve their grievances.
Clinical officers also raised concern over tribal considerations during deployment. “We have seen health workers being denied transfers or even a chance to work in a different county and asked to seek redeployment to their counties,” the officials said.
This comes after clinical officers in Nakuru faced threats of missing their November salary after they skipped work last week.
Union members said they could not provide services to patients as other health workers were also not at work.
“We cannot go to work. The gates and offices are locked and considering the few numbers of clinical officers in the hospitals we cannot manage to carry out operations,” one said.
Clinical officers also said they fear they may be attacked by other health workers if they work while other medics are on strike.
Meanwhile, President Uhuru Kenyatta has pleaded with health workers to call off their strike, which enters its fourth day today.