Clinical officers in Nairobi County have raised serious concerns over what they describe as deliberate frustration by Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration regarding their professional development. The health workers, who gathered outside City Hall on Thursday in a peaceful demonstration, accused the county government of ignoring a nationally approved career progression policy meant to improve their working conditions and growth prospects. According to the clinical officers, the stagnation in their careers is a direct result of the county’s failure to implement the guidelines developed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in May 2024.
The guidelines, formulated after extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including professional unions and health sector representatives, were designed to standardize how clinical officers are recruited, promoted, re-designated, and retained. The protesting officers, under the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Nairobi Branch, expressed disappointment that despite national efforts to structure and support their professional journey, Nairobi County has opted not to adopt the policy. The union, led by Nairobi Branch Chairperson Stephen Muthama, said the failure to act has left many officers stuck in the same positions for years, with no clear path for advancement.
Muthama highlighted that the union had previously gone on strike, during which the policy was finalized and approved. However, the county has since failed to operationalize it. He emphasized that the absence of a functioning framework is not just a bureaucratic oversight but a fundamental barrier to the career advancement of hundreds of clinical officers. Muthama questioned how a county that brands itself as a hub of opportunity could neglect the very professionals tasked with delivering essential health services.
Adding to their grievances, the clinical officers are also demanding the immediate deployment of five colleagues who were successfully recruited in 2023 but have never been posted to any health facility. These individuals, Muthama noted, completed the interview process and received official appointment letters, yet remain in limbo due to unexplained delays from the county government. The officers argue that deploying these professionals is not only a matter of honoring contracts but also a necessary step to ease the staff shortages currently straining public health services across the county.
Furthermore, the demonstrators called for the immediate promotion and re-designation of long-serving officers who meet the criteria outlined in the new guidelines. They believe that the existing staff deserve recognition for their service, especially when the tools to facilitate this progression have already been developed at the national level. Muthama insisted that the implementation of the policy is a straightforward administrative process that the county is choosing to neglect.
In conclusion, the clinical officers are urging Governor Sakaja’s administration to act with urgency. They assert that continued inaction not only demoralizes frontline health workers but also threatens the delivery of healthcare services in Nairobi. Their call to action is clear: implement the national policy in full, deploy the pending officers, and promote qualified professionals without further delay. The ball, they say, is now firmly in the county government’s court.
