Kenya is exploring the expansion of its Bilateral Labour
Agreement (BLA) with the United Kingdom to include clinical officers and
physician associates.
According to Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills
Development Shadrack Mwadime, the move will not only meet the rising global
demand for healthcare workers but also ensure professional recognition and
mobility through structured and sustainable frameworks.
“On recognition and licensing of Kenya Clinical Officers by
the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC), we support this transformative
development and commit to advocate for the formal inclusion of Clinical
Officers from Kenya in regulated migration frameworks and employment streams in
the UK and other partner nations,” Mwadime said.
He was speaking on Thursday at Aston University in
Birmingham, UK, during the 5th Global Association of Clinical Officers and
Physician Associates (GACOPA) conference.
The gathering drew delegates from 74 member states across
Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
The PS revealed that Kenya already has a labour agreement
with the UK, which has established a structured migration pathway that benefits
both countries while protecting the rights and professional growth of Kenyan
workers.
He emphasized that including clinical officers in future
agreements would give the cadre international opportunities, strengthen
professional recognition, and allow them to support healthcare systems abroad
while gaining expertise to reinvest back home.
“We strongly advocate for the principle of circular labour
mobility, which allows our professionals to serve abroad, acquire advanced
skills and international experience, and subsequently return home to reinvest
this expertise in strengthening our own health systems,” he said.
Mwadime stressed that global health challenges cannot be
solved by individual countries in isolation and called for stronger
partnerships with governments, academic institutions, professional
associations, and international organisations.
He said such collaborations would harmonise training
standards, improve recognition of healthcare workers, and build resilient
health systems worldwide.
The conference was also attended by Aston University Vice
Chancellor Prof Aleks Subic.
The Kenyan delegation included National Assembly Health
Committee Vice Chair Hon. Patrick Munene, Kenya Clinical Officers Association
(KCOA) National Chairman Peterson Wachira, and GACOPA Global President Austin
Oduor.
