Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS): ISSN 2523-6725 (online) July 2020 Vol. 4, No. 7 Citation: Umbima, L; Ochieng, R & Achieng, A. L. (2020). A Pragmatic Analysis of Communication Strategies used by Healthcare Providers and Patients at Kitale County Referral Hospital, Kenya. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(7), 89 – 101. 89 Copyright © 2020 Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), Nairobi, Kenya. http://cedred.org/jais/index.php/issues A Pragmatic Analysis of Communication Strategies used by Healthcare Providers and Patients at Kitale County Referral Hospital, Kenya By 1 Lindah Umbima; 2 Dr. Robert Ochieng & 3 SR. Dr. Achieng. A. Lucy 1,3 Catholic University of Eastern Africa; 2 Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Abstract The purpose of the study was to provide a pragmatic analysis of communication strategies used by health care providers at Kitale County Referal Hospital Kenya. The contention of this article is that communication is one of the most important aspects in delivery of healthcare. Grice posits that there are guidelines that participants of a conversation need when they communicate failure to which results to flouting of maxims. Successful observance of these guidelines contributes to effective communication and the lack of it leads to ineffective communication. Effective communication cannot happen without incorporating pragmatics which in a nut shell involves language and context. The study presented the results of a pragmatic analysis of communication strategies used by healthcare providers and patients at Kitale County Referral Hospital. The study used Grice’s Cooperative Principle. What the study aimed at was to find out the observance of the maxims of conversation by medical practitioners as they interact with patients, why the medical practitioners flout maxims as they interact with patients and to determine the conversational implicatures generated by flouting maxims of conversation. The study adopted a descriptive research design and was conducted in Kitale level five hospitals. The target population was the 167 nurses in the county who were sampled to 25 nurses through purposive sampling. The simple random sampling technique was used for the patients incoming at the hospital where in a normal routine of approximately 100 patients are treated in the hospital, 25 patients through simple random sampling to get the well manageable number by the research hence increasing its accuracy. The data collection tools were observation schedules and tape recording. Data analysis was done in accordance with observance and non-observance of the Cooperactive Principle. Data on flouting of maxims was identified and analyzed based on conversational implicatures. Data analyzed revealed that medical practitioners and their clients attempted to create a mutually accepted communication through cooperation. Observance of maxims was done to enhance and maintain face needs. It also showed that flouting of maxims was useful in order for the hearer to make inferences. Some of the reasons behind flouting the maxims include: regulating and maintaining mutual distance, showing power, getting sympathy and avoiding talking about something. Data revealed that the failure to adhere to the rules of conversation does not show rudeness it nevertheless enabled the hearer to receive an implied meaning at a deeper level. The study concluded that when maxims are flouted, patients and medical practitioners are likely to misinterpret instructions hence the need to ensure all maxims are adhered to when engaged in communications. The study recommended that all health practitioners be well versed with the principles and knowledge of the cooperative principle in guiding conversations between health practitioners and patients revealing effective communication during these interactions. Key Words: Kenya, Communication Strategies, Health Care Providers, Kitale County Referral Hospital