Council of Governors, Chairman H.E Ahmed Abdullahi
The Council of Governors (CoG) has raised fresh concerns over the Ministry of Health’s handling of the absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, warning that counties cannot take over the contracts without adequate resources.
In a statement issued after an Extraordinary Council meeting on health sector human resource management and e-procurement, CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said counties will only agree to absorb UHC workers once the national government provides KSh 7.7 billion to cover salaries and settles KSh 9.4 billion in gratuity owed to staff on contract.
“The Ministry cannot alter the contracts of UHC staff without the involvement of county governments. The transfer must be preceded by allocation of adequate resources in line with SRC-approved salary scales,” Abdullahi said.
The governors accused the Ministry of “setting up counties” by portraying them as unwilling to integrate the staff, despite health being a devolved function. They also demanded a jointly validated verification report of all UHC staff before any transition process begins.
On labour relations, the CoG acknowledged rising agitation by health unions but appealed for patience, saying counties were committed to implementing return-to-work agreements once resources are secured. They also urged the national government to release funds to ease tensions.
The governors faulted the Public Service Commission (PSC) for approving career progression guidelines for health workers without consulting counties, warning the move had “huge financial implications” on devolved budgets.
At the same time, the CoG demanded an additional KSh 4.7 billion to implement salary reviews for county staff, noting the national government had already effected the same for its employees in the 2024/25 financial year.
On the mandatory rollout of the electronic government procurement (EGP) system, the governors said the process was rushed and had “paralyzed service delivery,” particularly in health procurement.
“The rollout was hasty, marred with inconsistencies, and enforced before addressing gaps identified in the pilot phase. Lack of adequate sensitization and training has disrupted operations in counties,” the statement read.
The CoG called on the National Treasury to withdraw the directive on e-procurement until proper consultations, legal reviews, and capacity-building are undertaken.
The governors emphasized the need for constant consultation between the two levels of government before issuing directives that directly affect service delivery.
