Medics under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme held demonstrations in Machakos on Friday, March 7, over salary delays by the national government and job insecurity.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses Lower Eastern Secretary-General, Michael Saka, led the protest, demanding fair employment under the UHC initiative.
The demonstrators included public health workers, nurses, clinicians, and community health providers.
The medics criticised the government for failing to employ them on permanent terms despite working for four years on contract.
Saka stated that the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) had left many Kenyans struggling to access healthcare.
The medics issued a warning to the government, stating that if their grievances were ignored, they would mobilise every Kenyan, including church members and Gen Z, to amplify their demands.
“We want this petition escalated to the Senate, and it should be acted upon. If our grievances are not addressed, we will mobilise the church and Gen Z to amplify our demands,” Saka noted.
They also criticised President William Ruto for donating KSh 20 million to a church in Roysambu while healthcare workers continued to endure salary delays and poor employment terms.
The medics added that all health sector unions should not be operating under contract terms.
Additionally, they demanded the remittance of their National Social Security Fund (NSSF) deductions.
This comes after UHC medics in Nairobi staged demonstrations on March 4, demanding equal pay, permanent jobs, and pensionable terms.
The Nairobi UHC medics stated that they had previously presented petitions to the Ministry of Health and Parliament, but their concerns had been ignored.
