One Universal Health Coverage (UHC) worker has died, and several others have been injured after being involved in a road accident while on their way to protests.
The workers had embarked on a journey to join their colleagues in the ongoing national protests in Nairobi when they were involved in the unfortunate accident.
According to photos seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the 16-seater matatu that the workers had boarded was completely shattered, with the entire front part wrecked.
“My heart goes out to the UHC workers who were involved in a road traffic accident on their way to Nairobi for the Demonstrations. May God grant eternal rest to the one who died and heal the injured,” a statement by one of the workers read.
Health workers employed under the UHC have been engaging in protests, with the latest protests held on Tuesday, May 13, which saw the workers march to the Afya House. Armed with banners and whistles, hundreds of UHC workers pitched camp outside Afya House while chanting and decrying unfulfilled promises.
The workers from different parts of the country joined the protests, aiming to have direct talks with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. They blocked a section of the road leading to Afya House with stones, calling on the Ministry of Health to heed their concerns.
The workers are demanding permanent employment, unpaid gratuities, discrimination in employment practices, and salary equalisation before their payroll is transferred to county governments on July 1, 2025.
“I urge the Ministry of Health to expedite the process of their conversion to permanent employment and transfer to the county governments' payroll,” one of the workers said.
The majority of the protesting UHC workers were hired between 2019 and 2020 as part of the government's initiative to enhance access to essential healthcare services. Their recruitment was intended to strengthen Kenya’s UHC Programme, particularly by deploying more medical personnel to underserved rural and peri-urban areas.
Nurses, clinical officers, public health officers, laboratory technicians, health assistants, and community health workers were among those brought on board.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has vowed to resolve the disputes within three weeks, assuring UHC workers that all their concerns will be addressed fairly.
The protests come barely a week after the CS had held a meeting with the Council of Governors and health sector unions, discussing the transition of UHC staff and the settlement of their contractual benefits.
