Hundreds of
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers took to the streets of Nairobi on May
13, 2025, in a peaceful protest, demanding permanent employment, payment of
outstanding gratuities, and salary equalisation.
The UHC workers camped outside Afya House, the Ministry of Health headquarters, calling for payment of their gratuities before their payroll is transferred to county governments on July 1, 2025.
More than 3,000 UHC workers, drawn from various counties, held a night vigil and lit candles at the Green Park Bus Station before marching to the entrance of Afya House.
They said the candles were meant to commemorate “five years of suffering, unpaid gratuities, half salaries, and departed comrades.”
The workers have united under their umbrella body, the Kenya Health Sector Caucus, to push for swift implementation of their demands.
In April, the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors (CoG) reached an agreement to transfer the payroll management of UHC staff to county governments beginning July 1, 2025.
The transition will include the necessary budget to sustain current stipend terms.
“Before the
expiry of current contracts, county governments will receive additional funding
to facilitate the full absorption of UHC staff into permanent and pensionable
terms,” the ministry said in a statement issued on May 6, 2025.
The ministry also stated that service gratuity payments would be considered upon completion of the absorption process.
Last week, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale chaired a consultative meeting with the Council of Governors and health sector unions, led by Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General Seth Panyako.
The meeting addressed the transition of UHC staff to permanent and pensionable employment terms and the payment of service gratuities for their contractual service.
This meeting was a follow-up to earlier strategic engagements held with key stakeholders, and specifically addressed concerns raised by UHC staff on April 1, 2025.
According to the protesting workers, they have endured years of unfulfilled promises since their recruitment in May 2020, particularly concerning their absorption into the permanent and pensionable (PnP) scheme.
The workers, representing various counties, are also calling for an end to harassment and intimidation, particularly by county chief officers.
