Governor Njuki calls for UHC staff headcount to weed out ghost workers in counties

“Millions of taxpayers’ money is being lost through the payment of ghost UHC staff."

by STAR REPORTER

Eastern02 June 2025 - 12:56

In Summary

Speaking at Kibugua Stadium during Madaraka Day celebrations, Njuki raised concerns over the presence of about 3,000 ghost workers in the UHC programme.
He said the centralised payment system at the Ministry of Health has led to significant staffing discrepancies.

Tharaka Nithi Governor and Council of Governors (CoG) Health Committee chairperson, Muthomi Njuki, has backed a proposal by the Ministry of Health to transfer Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff to counties, insisting that a comprehensive headcount be done first.

Speaking at Kibugua Stadium during Madaraka Day celebrations, Njuki raised concerns over the presence of about 3,000 ghost workers in the UHC programme.

He said the centralized payment system at the Ministry of Health has led to significant staffing discrepancies.

“Millions of taxpayers’ money is being lost through the payment of ghost UHC staff. The headcount is the only solution to uncovering the real figures,” Njuki stated.

The proposal to transfer UHC staff to counties comes as part of broader efforts to devolve health services under Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, which transferred primary health functions to county governments.

However, the actual devolution of human resources has faced challenges, with issues around payroll management and staff accountability frequently emerging.

As chairperson of the CoG Health Committee, Njuki reiterated that transferring UHC staff to counties is a positive step toward strengthening healthcare delivery.

But he called on the Ministry of Health to ensure that the process is transparent and that only legitimate employees are transferred to counties.