Health Union Caucus Issues Final Ultimatum Over UHC Staff Absorption and CBA Delays


 Nairobi, Kenya — August 3, 2026

Health Union Caucus Issues Final Ultimatum Over UHC Staff Absorption and CBA Delays

The Health Union Caucus—representing the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO)—addressed the media in a joint press briefing held today at 12:00 PM.

Speaking live across national broadcast networks, including Digital Citizen, Citizen TV, and official union YouTube channels, union leadership expressed deep frustration over unresolved systemic grievances affecting healthcare workers across all 47 counties.

Core Resolutions & Demands Issued Today

  1. Immediate Absorption of UHC & Global Fund Workers

    The Caucus demanded that the Ministry of Health and county governments immediately issue permanent and pensionable appointment letters to over 7,400 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Global Fund contract staff. Despite KSh 8.6+ billion factored into budget frameworks for this transition, administrative friction between the National Treasury and the Council of Governors (CoG) continues to leave frontline workers in career limbo.

  2. Full Implementation of CBAs and Return-to-Work Formulas

    The unions called out non-compliant county administrations that have failed to sign recognition agreements, pay basic salary adjustments, or honor commitments outlined in existing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and signed Return-to-Work Formulas.

  3. Comprehensive Health Insurance Cover

    Leadership highlighted severe lapses in medical insurance coverage for health personnel under the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework, leaving practitioners and their dependants exposed while serving on the frontlines.

Key Statement from the Leadership

Addressing reporters at the briefing, union officials emphasized that patience within the health workforce has run out:

"Our members have kept Kenya’s public healthcare system running under severe constraints and broken promises. We have engaged in endless consultative meetings, yet thousands of UHC staff remain on precarious contracts and counties continue to violate signed labor agreements. Administrative inaction is actively collapsing our health sector, and we will no longer tolerate it."

Next Steps & Notice of Action

The Caucus affirmed that unless the Council of Governors and the Ministry of Health take immediate, binding steps to issue appointment letters and settle salary and insurance arrears, joint industrial action will proceed nationwide.

Members of the public, media houses, and sector partners can watch full recorded proceedings and live updates of today's address on Digital Citizen and the official YouTube channels of KMPDU, KNUN, and KUCO.

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