The Ministry of Health has dismissed claims of a clash between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga over the future of staff under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
The controversy arose after a Daily Nation article suggested the two had given conflicting statements on whether UHC workers would be made permanent and pensionable.
In a statement on Thursday, Dr. Oluga clarified that his remarks were not at odds with those of the CS. He explained that while Duale had assured UHC staff of their absorption, his own communication to the Council of Governors was focused on verifying which workers were actively on duty before updating the payroll.
“My letter was about payroll cleansing, which is routine and legally required. It does not contradict the CS’s statement,” he said, adding that both positions support the wider reform agenda to improve transparency and accountability in the health sector.
Oluga said the checks will ensure that “every legitimate worker is paid and transitioned to permanent and pensionable terms,” noting the exercise was agreed upon in a meeting with county health officials on August 21.
He accused the Nation of misreporting the issue despite receiving clarification from his office, terming the article “misleading.” The PS urged journalists to uphold accuracy and fairness in their reporting.
Oluga further announced that the government will begin absorbing UHC workers into permanent and pensionable terms from September this year.
Meanwhile, Daily Nation has since pulled down the article titled “Health CS and PS at war over Ksh9 billion ghost workers scandal” for editorial review.
