‘We Cannot Negotiate With Blood on the Table’: Makueni Clinical Officers Demand Health Chief’s Exit

By Andrew Mbuva.

Makueni County clinical officers have demanded the resignation of Chief Officer for Health Dr. Harvey Mulei, accusing him of being adversely mentioned in connection with the alleged organisation of goons who attacked health workers during a peaceful demonstration in Wote on Tuesday.

The officers said they would not return to the negotiating table with the county government until those implicated in the violence are removed from office to allow for impartial investigations.

Speaking on Thursday, Makueni County Clinical Officers Chairman Matthew Sila Kimeu said the officers were still mourning and recovering from the violence, with one of their colleagues, Angeline, undergoing treatment in hospital after sustaining serious injuries.

Kimeu said Angeline had undergone surgery and had a plate inserted in her left humerus following the attack.

“We cannot go back to a negotiating table when it is full of blood,” Kimeu said, insisting that any county official adversely mentioned in the incident should step aside to allow investigations to proceed without interference.

He said the clinical officers had exhausted various avenues to resolve their grievances, claiming that they had repeatedly approached county government offices before resorting to industrial action.

Kimeu also questioned the circumstances surrounding the police response to the demonstration, saying the officers had properly notified security authorities of their planned picketing.

He said the demonstration notice had been received by an officer identified as Anton Kinyua, raising questions over why the notice allegedly did not reach the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD).

Kimeu said the police had a constitutional obligation to facilitate peaceful demonstrations and protect demonstrators, arguing that the alleged failure to do so created room for the attackers to disrupt the procession.

The clinical officers' chairman dismissed suggestions that the dispute was linked to officers pursuing master's degrees, describing such claims as diversionary.

He maintained that the immediate concern was the alleged violence against the health workers, particularly the injuries sustained by several female officers.

Kimeu said the officers had already recorded statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), expressing confidence that the agency would conduct professional investigations.

He, however, called for the investigations to be expedited, saying the officers could not continue discussing a return-to-work formula while some of their colleagues remained injured.

He further urged Dr. Mulei to step aside pending the conclusion of investigations if he had been implicated in the incident.

Meanwhile, Kenya Clinical Officers Association President Moses Konde Matole condemned the alleged attack and called on the Makueni County Government to ensure that those found culpable are held accountable.

Matole said one of the clinical officers remained hospitalised after sustaining serious injuries during the demonstration.

He called on Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior to institute investigations into the incident and ensure that anyone found responsible faces appropriate action under the law.

The association also renewed calls for the county government to resolve the grievances raised by clinical officers, including implementation of the career progression guidelines.

Matole said resolving the outstanding issues would be key to ending the ongoing industrial action and restoring normal operations in the county's health facilities.

The clinical officers also announced plans for a major demonstration by health workers from across the Eastern region on September 16.

Kimeu said the procession would begin at Green Park at 8am before proceeding to the Governor's office.

He said the officers continued to have confidence in Governor Mutula but insisted that officials implicated in the alleged attack should step aside to pave the way for independent and uninterrupted investigations.

The standoff comes amid growing pressure on the Makueni County Government to address the clinical officers' grievances and end the industrial dispute, with the health workers maintaining that they will not return to negotiations until their concerns over Tuesday's violence are addressed.