President William Ruto has stood his ground on the government’s plan to place Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers on permanent and pensionable terms, even as county governments continue to push back.
Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday, September 4, the president said money had already been released to cover salaries for the health staff, in line with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) guidelines.
“These workers have suffered for too long. We will ensure they are employed on permanent and pensionable terms, not contracts,” Ruto said. “Funds have already been set aside to pay them beginning this month, in accordance with SRC recommendations.”
The Ministry of Health had earlier announced plans to absorb more than 7,000 UHC staff starting September.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed on August 25 that a verification exercise had been carried out in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG), paving the way for formal absorption.
According to Duale, 7,414 staff were identified, with those in active service expected to be transitioned immediately, while others with pending disciplinary cases would be handled separately.
The move has, however, been opposed by governors. On August 26, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who chairs the CoG Health Committee, described the absorption as premature.
He argued that the national government had not provided adequate resources and that the verification report had not been validated or officially shared with counties.
“The Council reiterates its earlier commitment to absorb verified UHC staff and pay them according to SRC scales once resources are fully allocated to counties and gratuity obligations are cleared,” Njuki said.
The standoff now sets up a test of wills between the national and county governments over the handling of the health workforce, a crucial pillar in the rollout of UHC.
