Ruto calls for immediate hiring of UHC staff on permanent, pensionable terms

President William Ruto has called for the immediate absorption of more than 7,500 Universal Health Coverage workers into permanent and pensionable terms. 

In what appears to be disagreement with a deal reached between the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors (CoG), to retain the workers on SRC salary scale until June next year, the President urged the two levels of government to end the impasse and expedite the process.

President Ruto made the announcement on Thursday in Mombasa, where he also issued employment letters to some of the workers.

Speaking at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, President Ruto declared that the more than 7,500 staff must be absorbed this month on permanent and pensionable terms, to give them an assurance of job security and enhanced pay.

"Hawa wafanyikazi tunataka kuwatoa kutoka ufanya kazi kandarasi tuwafanye permanent and pensionable. Mimi nauliza counties hawa wafanyi kazi kuanzia mwezi huu wa tisa tuwaweke permanent and pensionable because we have the resources," Ruto stated. 

His order contradicts an agreement between the Ministry of Health and the CoG that would have delayed absorption on the permanent and pension terms until June next year. 

But UHC workers, who have downed their tools several times in the last year, had pressed for immediate conversion and payment of gratuities.

The President also rebuked counties that have delayed stipends for Community Health Promoters, demanding that arrears be cleared by the end of the week.

"When the history of UHC is written, the heroes of universal health, the men and women who have made it possible for us to register Kenyans to SHA by going to homes to register people, are the community health promoters," the President noted. 

Ruto commended Mombasa County for leading in Social Health Authority (SHA) registration at 69 percent, saying the county had received more than Ksh.1.5 billion in SHA funds. 

For several months, the over 7,500 staff had taken to the streets in protest over discriminatory terms compared to their counterparts who are employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

This prompted the Health Ministry and Council of Governors to arrive at a Consensus whereby, for the next 10 months, the workers would receive their pay from the Ministry on new enhanced terms beginning in September.

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

In principle, the money we have this financial year is for county staff. But from September, they will be paid under SRC guidelines. Ksh.7.7 billion will be transferred and featured in the Revenue Division Bill," Health CS Aden Duale noted.

Elsewhere, lawmakers are turning up the heat on Duale over persistent failures in Kenya’s new insurance scheme. 

The National Assembly committee on health is accusing the Ministry of Health of bungling the rollout of the Social Health Authority, saying the failures are crippling hospitals and locking out patients. 

"The idea is to make SHA work for the people. Because when you close a facility, people suffer; it is not the people who make the mistake who suffer, it is the people who need the services that suffer. We are going to take that position. Sort the people who have caused problems, deal with them but let facilities operate," James Nyikal, Health Committee chair, noted.