Gov’t shelves transfer of payroll for 7,400 UHC staff to counties

For several months this year, health services across the country have been disrupted following intermittent Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff strikes across various public health facilities.

The 7,400 staff have taken to the streets several times in protest over discriminatory terms compared to their counterparts who are employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

UHC workers can now heave a sigh of relief, after the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors (CoG) reached a consensus on the transition plan.

For the next 10 months, the 7,400 workers will receive their pay from the Ministry of Health, on new enhanced terms beginning in September.

The counties will then take over from the next financial year after the government allocates sufficient funds to cover the new pay package in perpetuity.

“The requisite funds of Ksh.7.7 billion be made available in perpetuity…we would want not to lose the money that's already available at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) rates. This committee will sit down with all the stakeholders and agree that their contracts will run out May 2026," said CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale assured the county chiefs that the budget would be factored into the Division of Revenue Allocation Bill for the next financial year.

“Once they finish the report by Friday, we will have a meeting. In principle, the money we have this financial year is for county staff. But from September, they will be paid under SRC guidelines. 7.7 billion will be transferred and featured in the Revenue Division Bill," Duale noted.

A special committee has been formed comprising five Governors and Ministry of Health officials to address all the issues that have been affecting county governments on matters of health.

The team is expected to meet medical unions on Monday to come up with modalities for resolving all pending issues within the health sector.