The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has issued a three-week strike notice over alleged discrimination in the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The union has announced that starting December 23, over 30,000 members will down tools to protest their exclusion from the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The move comes a day after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) asked intern doctors to withdraw their services starting in December due to job frustrations.
In the latest incident, clinical officers accused the Social Health Authority of intentionally excluding them from providing services, citing ulterior motives.
According to the union’s national chairperson, Peterson Wachira, senior officials from the authority are responsible for the current crisis, which has affected over 6 million Kenyans.
Wachira noted that the new SHA board had blocked clinicians from the list of service providers yet they operated over 1,000 private facilities in the country.
He warned that if the board does not reverse its decision, the union will proceed with their planned strike on December 23 and hold weekly protests every Monday.
Speaking at the union’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Naivasha, Wachira emphasized that the crisis began once the SHIF was introduced.
He further criticized the management of the health sector, claiming that the SHA’s poor handling of the rollout cautioning that the new funding model could lead to a collapse of the healthcare system.
“The President has promised that Universal Health Coverage should work, but this cannot happen with the way the Social Health Authority is handling the rollout,” Wachira said.
Antony Kariga, an eye surgeon from Nakuru, shared concerns that over 80 percent of patients in need of eye surgeries have been unable to receive the necessary services.
“The Social Health Authority has blocked us from offering these services, resulting in numerous operations being postponed,” he said.
James Nderitu, an anesthetist, added that the new directives from SHA have eliminated the need for pre-authorization, disrupting their ability to provide essential care.
“These new rules are harming patients across the country, and we need fresh engagement,” he said.
Dermatologist Austin Odour criticized SHA’s decision to remove clinical officers from the list of service providers, calling it both questionable and inhumane.
“There are only five registered dermatologists in the country, yet millions of people are in need of skin care treatment. We question how this will work under the new rules,” he said.
BY KBC NEWS