Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya is exploring the expansion of its Bilateral Labour Agreement (BLA) with the United Kingdom to include clinical officers and physician associates.
According to Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime, the move will not only meet the rising global demand for healthcare workers but also ensure professional recognition and mobility through structured and sustainable frameworks.
“On recognition and licensing of Kenya Clinical Officers by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC), we support this transformative development and commit to advocate for the formal inclusion of Clinical Officers from Kenya in regulated migration frameworks and employment streams in the UK and other partner nations,” Mwadime said.
He was speaking on Thursday at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, during the 5th Global Association of Clinical Officers and Physician Associates (GACOPA) conference.
The gathering drew delegates from 74 member states across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
The PS revealed that Kenya already has a labour agreement with the UK, which has established a structured migration pathway that benefits both countries while protecting the rights and professional growth of Kenyan workers.
He emphasized that including clinical officers in future agreements would give the cadre international opportunities, strengthen professional recognition, and allow them to support healthcare systems abroad while gaining expertise to reinvest back home.
“We strongly advocate for the principle of circular labour mobility, which allows our professionals to serve abroad, acquire advanced skills and international experience, and subsequently return home to reinvest this expertise in strengthening our own health systems,” he said.
Mwadime stressed that global health challenges cannot be solved by individual countries in isolation and called for stronger partnerships with governments, academic institutions, professional associations, and international organisations.
He said such collaborations would harmonise training standards, improve recognition of healthcare workers, and build resilient health systems worldwide.
The conference was also attended by Aston University Vice Chancellor Prof Aleks Subic.
The Kenyan delegation included National Assembly Health Committee Vice Chair Hon. Patrick Munene, Kenya Clinical Officers Association (KCOA) National Chairman Peterson Wachira, and GACOPA Global President Austin Oduor.
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