Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale giving a speech in Marsabit on April 27, 2025.
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Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff have rejected the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale's directive to transfer the management of their payslip to the county governments.
In their official X account on Wednesday, May 7, the UHC staff stressed that the national government should only transfer this responsibility to the devolved units as per the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) terms and not stipends.
"We have UHC staff reject in totality the resolutions on UHC staff made yesterday between the government, MOH & the union," the notice stated.
"If payrolls are to be transferred to the counties, they should be transferred as per SRC terms and not as stipends," it added.
Medical doctors participating in a strike on April 9, 2024
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George Oyunge
Additionally, the staff have further pointed out that the reluctance of the government to pay them their pending gratuity is a sign of betrayal.
"We have UHC staff, having served 5 full years now on contract. We believe our due gratuity, which is way long overdue, should have been paid like yesterday. Clearly, the government – MOH eats its own people," it stated.
According to the Duale, through a statement on Tuesday, May 7, the county government will, from July 1, officially start handling the payroll of the workers.
Under the new proposal by the ministry, county governments will receive funding to sustain the current salary terms.
Additionally, the CS stated that the government has allocated Ksh7.7 billion to ensure that 8,751 UHC staff are fully absorbed into permanent and pensionable positions.
Furthermore, Duale assured that the ministry will also consider paying service gratuity payments to the staff after they have been fully absorbed.
According to Duale, the transition will not only be fundamental in guaranteeing long-term job security for the workers but also in streamlining healthcare operations in hospitals.
The CS also directed all UHC staff who are currently off duty to resume work immediately and not later than Wednesday, May 7.
"The meeting resolved that the Ministry of Health shall transfer the management of UHC staff payroll to Counties effective July 1, with an attendant budget for payment of stipend under the current terms in the interim,'' the CS stated.
"County Governments will be provided with additional funds before the expiry of the current UHC contracts for purposes of full absorption to permanent and pensionable terms," he added.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale (Right), Public Health PS Mary Muthoni(Centre) Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai (left) during a COG meeting on April 14, 2025
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