Clinical Officers Resume Duty as Siaya County Strike Ends After 21 Days
He said the county government had committed to begin paying risk allowances from July and to clear outstanding arrears dating back to June last year.
Photo/Courtesy.
By Ian Kiprotich
Public healthcare services in Siaya County are expected to return to normal after clinical officers officially called off their 21-day strike following the signing of a return-to-work agreement with the county government.
The agreement was reached after negotiations between officials of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and the Siaya County Executive led by County Secretary Elizabeth Adongo.
Under the deal, implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is scheduled to begin next month, paving the way for the resolution of several long-standing labor grievances that prompted the industrial action.
Speaking after the signing of the agreement, KUCO Deputy Secretary General Austin Oduor said the settlement addresses the key concerns raised by union members.
He said the county government had committed to begin paying risk allowances from July and to clear outstanding arrears dating back to June last year.
Oduor welcomed the agreement and commended Governor James Orengo for facilitating the release of funds to support its implementation.
However, he said the union would closely monitor the July payroll to ensure all commitments made by the county government are fully honored.
“We shall scrutinize the July salary payments to ensure every item agreed upon is implemented as contained in the return-to-work formula,” Oduor said.
As part of the agreement, the Siaya County Public Service Board will begin implementing career progression guidelines, allowing long-delayed promotions and staff re-designations to commence next month.
The county government has also undertaken to establish a joint committee that will oversee implementation of the CBA and address any outstanding issues that may arise.
Other commitments include resolving delayed salary payments and processing personal numbers for clinical officers who have been awaiting formal placement in the county public service.
KUCO Siaya Branch Chairman Collins Omondi Ouma confirmed the suspension of the strike and directed all clinical officers to report back to their duty stations immediately.
“We are calling upon all our members to resume work without delay as we continue engaging the county government on the implementation of the agreement,” Ouma said.
KUCO National Trustee Wamalwa Simiyu thanked residents of Siaya County for their patience during the three-week industrial action, acknowledging that patients bore the greatest burden as healthcare services were disrupted across public health facilities.
He expressed optimism that the agreement would foster improved relations between the county government and healthcare workers while ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.
The strike had affected services in several public hospitals and health centers across Siaya County, with patients forced to seek treatment in private facilities or neighboring counties.
The resumption of duty by clinical officers is expected to restore outpatient services, emergency care and other essential medical services in county-run health facilities as implementation of the agreement begins.
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