UHC Staff during their strike
A day after the Ministry of Health announced that 7,414 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff would be absorbed into the public service from September, the Council of Governors (CoG) has rejected the move, terming it premature and contradictory to earlier agreements with counties.
Speaking in Nairobi today, the Council of Governors dismissed the announcement, saying it contradicted prior agreements between the two levels of government. CoG Health Committee Chair, Governor Muthomi Njuki, said the process as outlined by the Ministry was “premature and untimely.”
“It was agreed that the Ministry of Health would allocate adequate resources as per the approved SRC salary scale before the transfer of the payroll to the county governments,” Njuki said. “Since the contracts are still valid, the decision to transfer the staff at this time is premature.”
Governor Muthomi Njuki, Chair of the CoG Health Committee addressing the media in Nairobi over the absorption of UHC staff.
On Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that 7,414 UHC staff would be formally transitioned into the public service following a nationwide verification exercise. He explained that of the 7,629 workers vetted, 215 were flagged as either ghost employees or unqualified professionals and struck off the payroll. The CS assured that the absorption would strengthen the health workforce, which is critical to the delivery of Universal Health Coverage.
“Staff in active service will be formally transitioned and absorbed with effect from September 2025,” Duale said. “Those with disciplinary issues or who are absent from duty will not be absorbed until their cases are reviewed in line with Public Service Commission regulations.”
Funding and Gratuity Concerns
At the heart of the dispute is money. The Council insists that before the payroll is transferred to counties, the Ministry must allocate sufficient resources to pay the staff in line with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) salary structure.
The Council also faulted the Ministry for failing to validate and share the full verification report of UHC staff, arguing that counties cannot implement a process based on an incomplete exercise.
Another sticking point is gratuity. The Council noted that UHC staff currently serve on contractual terms and are entitled to gratuity, which the Ministry must settle before any transfer of staff to county governments.
A Call for Consultation
While reiterating their commitment to absorb verified staff in the future, governors said the process can only happen once the Ministry honors these obligations. The CoG warned that without financial resources being allocated and gratuity settled, counties would be unable to take over the payroll.
“The absorption of UHC staff will be unattainable unless the attendant resources are disbursed to counties,” Njuki said. “The Constitution provides that both levels of government should relate on the basis of consultation as opposed to directive.”
Despite the rebuke, the governors said they remain committed to working with the national government in the spirit of partnership. They emphasized that the ultimate goal is to safeguard health service delivery across counties and to strengthen Universal Health Coverage.
The clash highlights ongoing tensions between national and county governments over health workforce management. It also raises fresh questions about whether the absorption plan announced by the Ministry will go ahead as scheduled in September or stall amid intergovernmental stalemate leaving the workers in limbo.
