Health CS Aden Duale when he hosted a delegation from Siemens Healthineers for discussions on strengthening Kenya's response to cancer treatment as part of advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC)/HANDOUTThe government will begin absorbing 7,414 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff into the public service starting September 2025, Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale has announced.
In a statement released Monday, Duale said the move follows the completion of a nationwide verification exercise jointly conducted by the State Department for Medical Services and the Council of Governors (COG).
“Out of the 7,629 UHC staff verified, 215 failed to present themselves. These individuals have been identified as either ghost workers or unqualified health professionals,” said Duale.
He added that salaries for the 215 have been stopped, and they have been removed from the government payroll pending investigations aimed at recovering any irregular payments made.
The remaining 7,414 eligible staff will be placed in two categories: those currently in active service and those facing disciplinary cases.
“Staff in active service will be formally transitioned and absorbed with effect from September 2025,” said the CS. “Those with disciplinary issues or who are absent from duty will not be absorbed until their cases are reviewed in line with the Public Service Commission (PSC) Regulations 2020 on Human Resource.”
Duale emphasised that the review of such cases will involve consultation with the PSC and may lead to separation, removal from the payroll, or other disciplinary actions as per the law.
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Council of Governors, PSC, and other stakeholders, remains committed to ensuring the absorption process is fair, accountable, and transparent, Duale noted.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the health workforce as a critical component in the delivery of Universal Health Coverage and ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services across the country.
UHC staff were initially hired on short-term contracts between 2019 and 2020, with a major recruitment push during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some early deployments were tied to a pilot UHC programme launched in 2018.
The absorption of these workers marks a significant step toward institutionalising UHC efforts and addressing long-standing concerns over job security for frontline health workers.
