Clinical officers want Parliament to investigate the alleged breach of a return-to-work agreement, unfair employment terms for Universal Health Coverage staff and prolonged delays in internship postings.

In a petition, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers wants the Senate to intervene in what it termed systemic discrimination against clinical officers by the Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority.

They have also lamented about the failure by county governments to implement approved career progression guidelines in recruitment, promotion and re-designation.

The petition also highlights the ‘deliberate’ exclusion of medical laboratory officers from critical policy and labour-related discussions affecting their profession.

The union is calling on the Senate to help restore fairness and accountability in the governance of medical laboratory services in Kenya.

Kuco general secretary George Gibore and national chairman Peterson Wachira alleged that discrimination, interference and rights violations by the Ministry of Health are undermining public health, labour rights and the rule of law.

"The SHA board should end the exclusion of clinical officers by empanelling all those registered with the council and reinstating their pre-authorisation rights to alleviate the suffering of Kenyans,” the petition reads.

The petitioners are also seeking Senate intervention to enforce the full implementation of the Return-to-Work Agreement between the union and employers.

They want the Senate to ensure the timely posting of clinical officers due for internship, and to harmonise intern payments as per the Public Service Commission circular.

"We ask the Senate to make recommendations for the immediate conversion of UHC staff contracts into permanent and pensionable positions, in line with legal provisions," the petition states.

Kuco further claims that multiple attempts to engage directly with the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Health have been ignored or delegated to personal assistants, unlike other unions in the health sector.

The union also raised concerns over the SHA rollout, saying specialised clinical officers who previously had pre-authorisation rights were removed from the system, leading to significant care delays and financial burdens on patients.

“Thousands of patients have experienced complications due to delayed care, while others have been forced to pay out of pocket, contrary to the objectives of the Social Health Insurance,” the petition says.

Kuco notes that the Clinical Officers Council has registered more than 30,000 practitioners nationwide, working across both public and private healthcare facilities.

The union alleges that clinical officers are being unlawfully compelled to license their facilities through the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council in order to be empanelled or contracted, resulting in double licensure.

"Specialist clinical officers are being forced to use KMPDC licence numbers from medical officers for pre-authorisation purposes — an illegal practice that has led to extortion,” Kuco says.

On UHC staff welfare, the union argues that while other health interns are compensated based on job group classifications, diploma-level clinical officer interns receive only minimal allowances that fail to meet basic living needs.

Delays in internship postings, they say, create uncertainty among graduates, interrupt skills development and limit their contribution to healthcare delivery.

“Clearly defined job descriptions and expectations will help officers understand their responsibilities at each level of service,” the petition reads.

An agreement between the union, the Ministry of Health and county governments previously ended a 121-day strike.

However, Kuco claims many devolved units have failed to uphold their obligations, particularly regarding career progression and internship postings.