Nairobi clinicians protest against Sakaja administration over poor treatment

Nairobi County Clinical Officers holding a plac-cards during the ongoing strike that has paralyzed operations within Nairobi County Hospitals on 24 April, 2025 outside Nairobi City County Assembly. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Nairobi county clinical officers on Thursday staged protest, accusing Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration of ignoring their plights and treating them "without dignity."

Led by Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Nairobi Branch chairman, Stephen Muthama, the clinicians are demanding for the implement career progression guideline by the county government.

The document, developed in May last year by Public Service Commission in consultation with other stakeholders, dictates recruitment, promotion, redesignation and retention of clinical officers.

"We went on strike, the policy document went through, but Nairobi City County has declined and refused to implement. Our demand is they implement it in totality. That is the guideline that dictates our career progression, our career development from internship to retirement," said Muthama.

He added: "We are demanding that Nairobi City County adopts and implements the guideline with immediate effect. We cannot be having a county that prides itself as a city of order, dignity and opportunities and they are denying the Clinic of SARS opportunity."

The clinicians also are demanding for posting of their five colleagues that they said "have been walking with appointment letters since April 18, 2024 when they were officially recruited."

"These people were shortlisted, were interviewed, got appointment letters last year and up to date they have never been posted. Our demand, number one, is the five clinical officers be posted and they go to serve Nairobians," he stated.

The deployment of the officers, they argued, would help solve shortage of health care workers int the devolved unit.

At the same time, they are also demanding for promotion of their "deserving colleagues" who have stagnated in a particular job group for the longest time.

"We are asking them to promote and re-designate all deserving clinical officers with immediate effect because you have the policy document that will help you to actualise that," he said.