Health practitioners call for inclusivity in policy formulation

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Chairman Peterson Wachira and Secretary General George Gibore address a press briefing in Nairobi, on December 23, 2025. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Health practitioners are demanding that their voices must be included in all healthcare policy making and leadership decisions as Kenya ushers in 2026.

From doctors to nurses, clinical officers and other cadres, stakeholders say past exclusion has slowed reforms, delayed service delivery and fuelled industrial actions.

“We need policies shaped by everyone on the ground: nurses, laboratory officers, public health officers, nutritionists,” said Peterson Wachira, chair of the Health Caucus and Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco), highlighting the gaps that have persisted since devolution.

“Right now, decisions are made without our input, and that limits what can actually be achieved in healthcare.”

Wachira emphasised that these gaps have consequences for patient care, noting that strikes, including those by nurses and doctors in some counties, often stem from exclusion from key policy discussions.

To address this, Wachira announced that the Health Caucus will convene its annual health workers convention this year.

The event intends to audit progress since devolution, evaluate the effectiveness of the health system and propose reforms, including strengthening primary healthcare (PHC) funding and ensuring that all professional cadres have a voice in leadership and policy decisions.

Kuco secretary general George Gibore said clinical officers commenced a strike on December 23 due to unresolved issues dating back years.

“We have been negotiating our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for over eight years and only one item remains pending. Despite decisions by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the Ministry of Health and counties have not formalised implementation,” Mr Gibore said.

Gibore added that salaries for phases three through five, as reviewed by the SRC, remain partially unpaid.

Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako echoed the call for recognition and proper placement of nurses in policy structures.

He cited the absence of a Director of Nursing Services at the national level and persistent struggles over grading structures.

For doctors, 2025 was a year of hard-won gains, setting a benchmark for what 2026 should achieve.