PS Oluga clarifies letter to governors over UHC staff, denies fall out with CS Duale

In a statement on Thursday, Dr. Oluga clarified that his recent communication to the Council of Governors (CoG) was intended to reinforce, not contradict, CS Duale’s announcement on the absorption of UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms.

“The Principal Secretary’s letter to the CoG CEO focused on verifying which staff are on duty and which are not, for purposes of payroll cleansing. This exercise is both routine and legally required as part of the accounting officer’s responsibility,” Oluga said.

He insisted that his letter was in line with the ministry’s reform agenda, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and fairness in the management of the UHC workforce.

“The PS’s letter and the CS’s announcement complement and reinforce each other as part of a coordinated reform agenda,” he added.

Oluga assured that all duly verified UHC staff will be absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms starting September 2025.

His remarks followed Duale’s earlier statement indicating that a verification exercise had confirmed 7,414 out of 7,629 UHC staff for transition. According to the CS, 215 individuals failed to present themselves for the headcount, with some flagged as non-existent or unqualified health workers.

“Those in active service will be formally absorbed with effect from September 2025, while those with pending disciplinary issues will be subjected to due process,” Duale announced, noting that the exercise was conducted in collaboration with the CoG.

However, governors have rejected the planned transfer of UHC staff to counties, terming it premature. They argue that the exercise undermines a prior agreement between the two levels of government.