For four months, patients in Uasin Gishu's public health facilities have waited for services that striking clinical officers were not there to give. This week the county finally put pen to paper on the deal the clinicians have been demanding, but whether they walk back into the clinics is another matter.

County Secretary Phillip Melly signed the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), making Uasin Gishu one of the last counties to sign the delayed February 2026 deal.

"We are happy to have finally signed the CBA with our clinical officers," Melly said, according to The Star.

What the clinicians get

The agreement addresses the main demands that sent clinical officers out of the county's hospitals and dispensaries:

  • An enhanced risk allowance
  • Promotions and clear career progression guidelines
  • Conversion of staff hired under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme to permanent and pensionable terms

KUCO National Secretary General George Gibore welcomed the signing. "All the issues we had raised are covered under the CBA," he said, adding that "UHC can only be achieved through unity between healthcare workers, unions and governments."

Health executive Janet Kurgat and Chief Officer Ambrose Tarus attended the signing.

'The strike remains in force'

The county's Department of Health Services presented the deal as "a crucial move towards clearing the stalemate that will see Clinical Officers resume duty", and pledged to implement it fully.

But according to Uasin Gishu News, the union says the strike has not been formally called off. KUCO argues that the county has not signed a return-to-work formula, which it says must be agreed before members go back to work. Without that document, the union maintains, the industrial action continues.

A long and costly standoff

The clinical officers' strike began on July 20, 2026, over unimplemented CBAs, and has since ended in counties that signed and implemented the agreements. Uasin Gishu was among roughly 15 counties where it dragged on, alongside Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Lamu and Baringo, according to earlier union statements.

In Eldoret and the surrounding sub-counties, the walkout has reduced access to clinical services at public facilities, where clinical officers handle much of the outpatient work. Earlier this year, county health workers marched through Eldoret over CBA and UHC terms.

What happens next

Both sides are expected to keep talking to agree on the return-to-work formula. Until then, residents relying on county facilities may continue to face long queues, even with a signed CBA on the table.

The deal also lands as doctors in 17 other counties face a separate strike notice over unpaid salary adjustments, a sign of how strained relations between county governments and health workers remain.

Photos: The Star / Mathews Ndanyi (County Secretary Phillip Melly signing the CBA); Uasin Gishu News (CBA signing meeting). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.