Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga Speaking in Mombasa during a quarterly meeting of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for Health, September 4, 2025.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga has called on counties to urgently submit returns for Universal Health Coverage staff to fast-track their pay review.
Speaking in Mombasa during a quarterly meeting of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for Health, Oluga said the submissions are critical to facilitate contract reviews for the thousands of UHC workers currently deployed in public health facilities across the country.
His directive follows a resolution reached at a joint meeting between the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors, which agreed to harmonise UHC staff remuneration with the rates set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
“We would like the CECs to help us with initiating the process so that the county public service boards could alter the contracts,” the PS said.
The move is intended to address long-standing concerns over disparities in pay for staff supporting the roll-out of the universal healthcare programme.
Dr Oluga stressed that the process must follow due diligence to avert any legal issues in the future.
“So that we do not pay them at SRC rates and then the contracts do not reflect that, because as you know in the country that becomes a huge audit query.”
Oluga noted that a committee formed to address issues affecting UHC staff is expected to meet from Friday, September 5, to work out a comprehensive framework for implementation of the new pay structure.
He stressed that counties must cooperate fully to ensure that the process does not stall, adding that aligning UHC staff salaries to SRC guidelines will bring stability and fairness to the health workforce.
At the same meeting, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o urged counties to embrace the new electronic government procurement system (eGPS).
She said the system, recently rolled out nationally, is designed to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in the use of public resources.
Nyakang’o, however, appealed to both national and county governments to exercise patience during the transition period as they get accustomed to the system.
“We need eGPS despite of the fact that the change has not been managed properly. So, what must we do? We must make the best of a bad situation,” she said.
She said the system requires time for all stakeholders to adjust, noting that its long-term benefits outweigh the initial challenges.
“No one is safe; not me, not Parliament, everybody is involved. Do not keep protesting saying it will go away. It will not go away, it is with us. People complained about IFMIS, today they are still complaining. Did we stop using it?” Nyakang’o posed.
Her remarks come at a time when counties are under increasing pressure to enhance financial accountability and streamline operations in service delivery.
The Mombasa forum brought together top county health executives to review progress on ongoing programmes and discuss emerging challenges in the health sector.
