Gov't to absorb 7,414 UHC staff after nationwide headcount

The government has announced it will absorb 7,414 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff into the public service following a nationwide headcount, effective September 2025.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the verification exercise, conducted jointly by the State Department for Medical Services and the Council of Governors (CoG), identified 7,629 workers on the UHC payroll.

However, 215 of them were found to be either ghost workers or unqualified personnel.

“Out of the 7,629 staff verified, 215 did not present themselves, having been identified as either non-existent or not qualified health professionals. Their salaries have been stopped and they have been removed from the payroll pending further investigations to prosecute, determine, and recover the irregular payment,” the CS said in a statement on Monday.

The 7,414 staff cleared in the exercise will be categorized into two groups: those in active service and those facing disciplinary issues.

Only the active staff will be formally transitioned and absorbed starting September 2025. Cases of absenteeism or pending disciplinary action will be reviewed in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC) under its 2020 Human Resource Regulations.

“The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Council of Governors, PSC, and other stakeholders, remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in the absorption process while safeguarding the rights of eligible officers,” Duale added.