Ebola: Lab officers in strike threat over protection gear, pay disputes
Health workers at an Ebola isolation facility.
Medical laboratory officers could go on a nationwide strike unless the government acts on Ebola preparedness and long-running labour grievances, their union has warned.
The Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors have 14 days from October 27, 2026, to show tangible progress. Otherwise, the union will consider issuing a lawful nationwide strike notice.
The union said recent Ministry of Health announcements on the deadly virus should be “a wake-up call” for the government. The ministry has said some of those who had contact with the first Ebola case in Kenya were laboratory officers and had to be quarantined.
“It is unacceptable that medical laboratory officers can be exposed to the risk of Ebola infection while the systems required to protect them remain inadequate. The government cannot expect laboratory professionals to safeguard the health of the nation while failing to safeguard their own lives,” said Nicholas Odipo, the union’s national chairperson.
Odipo said county laboratory officers had reportedly not received adequate Ebola preparedness and response training. He added that personal protective equipment (PPE) had not been supplied to county laboratories.
He called on the ministry and county governments to train officers in specimen handling, infection prevention and outbreak response. He also wants properly equipped decentralised testing sites to be established, saying this would ease pressure on the national reference laboratory.
“Appropriate and adequate PPE must be supplied to county medical laboratories, alongside the necessary safety protocols, before officers are deployed to handle suspected Ebola cases. No officer should be expected to undertake high-risk duties without the requisite protective measures,” said Odipo.
The union also objected to the Sh3,000 risk allowance paid to laboratory officers, calling it inadequate.
“Medical laboratory officers routinely handle potentially infectious specimens and support the diagnosis of diseases that threaten public health. Their exposure risks cannot be ignored simply because their work takes place within a laboratory rather than at a patient’s bedside,” he said.
Beyond Ebola, the union said several other issues remain unresolved. These include an outstanding certificate of unresolved trade dispute involving KNUMLO, the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors. The union also wants negotiations for its first collective bargaining agreement to begin, but these have stalled because the ad hoc committee has not been constituted.
The union further noted that the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards has not approved the revised Career Progression Guidelines, leaving officers to work under the 2015 Scheme of Service. Eleven county governments have yet to conclude recognition agreements with the union.
KNUMLO also raised concerns about a memorandum issued on August 15, 2026, on the registration and licensing of public medical laboratory units. It said requirements such as surrendering individual practice licences and restrictions on supervising multiple facilities limit officers’ ability to earn extra income. The union wants the Health Cabinet Secretary and the Council of Governors to provide a non-practice allowance before implementing the requirements.
“The union supports proper regulation, patient safety and accountability in medical laboratory services. However, regulation must be implemented fairly, consistently and with due regard to the rights and welfare of the professionals affected,” said Odipo.
He added that the union remains open to talks but will not accept delays.
“The union remains committed to constructive dialogue and the protection of public health. However, dialogue must produce results, and repeated engagements must not become an excuse for indefinite delays,” said Odipo.
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