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National Vice Chairman Cyprian Ombati said the government had failed to honour commitments to conclude negotiations before the agreement’s implementation period, despite the union submitting its proposals in advance
KUCO Deputy Secretary General Austin Otieno Oduor says unfulfilled agreements remain the main reason clinical officers continue to take industrial action, with differences between counties creating unequal working conditions for health workers.
The association said the continued disruption of public health services was putting patients, especially vulnerable groups, at risk and could undermine progress made towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking during a special session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) on Monday, Abdullahi said the agreement was signed “under duress” in the run-up to the 2017 elections but has never been implemented.
The response follows a two-day meeting between the union and the Principal Secretary for Public Service Jane Imbunya, where both sides sought to address the long-running dispute over the special code used for basic salary adjustments.
In a January 23, 2026 letter, the union said 16 universities had failed to release 50 per cent of the Sh7.9 billion arrears and had not sent statutory and third-party deductions or paid lecturers who had already left service.
In a detailed statement on Wednesday, Duale said the CBA currently ready for signing applies only to about 150 clinical officers employed directly by the Ministry of Health, a small fraction of the country’s clinical workforce.
Speaking in an interview on Radio Generation on Friday, KUCO Secretary General George Gibore said the standoff is not about unwilling workers but about a government that has consistently gone back on its word.
The talks, held to resolve the Sh7.9 billion in salary arrears and other allowances, fell apart following sharp disagreements over the structure and timeline of payments.
In a letter dated October 21 and addressed to SRC Acting Secretary and CEO Margaret Njoka, Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union had completely rejected the IPUCCF’s counter-offer, which was based on guidelines issued by the commission.
Lecturers under the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) staged a march outside the University of Nairobi on Wednesday, reiterating their demand for the full Sh7.9 billion owed under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and pressing for talks on the 2025–2029 CBA.
Hardship allowances are meant to support public servants posted to regions with insecurity, poor infrastructure, or lack of basic services.
The strike has been ongoing since August 20, 2025, as the lecturers demand the implementation of the return-to-work formula signed on November 30, 2024, with the University council.
A TSC survey conducted between March and July 2022 indicated that an average of 44 teachers retire, die, or resign each day.
The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) attributed the latest decline to the harsh economic environment and challenging macroeconomic conditions.
KMPDU has further threatened to file contempt of court proceedings against accounting officers accused of ignoring the legally binding commitments.
A teacher earning around Sh23,000 will see their monthly salary rise to about Sh29,000 under the new arrangement.
The 2021–2025 CBA, which was largely non-monetary due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ends soon, but teachers say their fresh proposals are yet to be acted upon.