The Council of Governors (CoG) has dismissed the Ministry of Health’s announcement to absorb 7,414 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, describing the move as premature and inconsistent with earlier agreements between the two levels of government.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, CoG stated that the ministry’s directive contradicted the framework that had been negotiated on how to manage the transition of UHC staff from the national to county governments.
“While acknowledging the ongoing collaboration between the two levels of government in addressing the management of UHC staff, the Council wishes to clarify that it does not concur with the Ministry of Health’s position,” the statement read.
CoG Health Committee Chair, Governor Muthomi Njuki, said the contracts of UHC workers were still valid, and any transfer must follow agreed procedures.
“Since the contracts are still valid, the decision to transfer the staff at this time is premature and untimely,” he stated.
The governors stressed that adequate resources must first be allocated to counties, in line with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) salary scales, before the staff can be formally absorbed.
They also noted that the verification report on UHC staff had not yet been validated or shared with counties, raising further concerns about the ministry’s move.
Another unresolved issue is the payment of gratuity.
CoG argued that the Ministry of Health should first settle all gratuity owed to UHC staff engaged on contract terms before transitioning them to county governments.
The council said it remained committed to absorbing verified staff once resources were allocated and obligations honoured.
“The Council reiterates its earlier commitment to absorb verified UHC staff and facilitate their salaries in line with the approved SRC salary scales, once resources have been disbursed to the counties and gratuity obligations honoured,” Njuki added.
Despite rejecting the ministry’s plan, CoG reaffirmed its commitment to work with the Ministry of Health to resolve staffing issues, saying the ultimate goal remains strengthening health service delivery across the country.
This comes after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that the government will begin absorbing 7,414 UHC staff into the public service starting September 2025.
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.
“Out of the 7,629 UHC staff verified, 215 did not present themselves during the exercise. These cases were flagged for further review,” Duale said.
