Council of Governors led by Governor Waiguru addressing the media after a past special sitting with MOH. Photo/MOH
By Daisy Okiring
The Council of Governors (CoG) has opposed a directive issued by the Ministry of Health regarding the transfer and absorption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff into county governments, warning that the move is premature and inconsistent with earlier agreements between the two levels of government.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, August 26, CoG Health Committee Chairperson Governor Muthomi Njuki faulted the Ministry for issuing a unilateral position that contradicted prior consultations.
“While acknowledging the ongoing collaboration between the two levels of government in addressing the management of UHC staff, the Council wishes to clarify that it does not concur with the Ministry of Health’s position,” the statement read in part.
Disagreement Over Staff Transfer
The Council accused the Ministry of disregarding an earlier understanding that sufficient resources would first be allocated before the transfer of UHC staff from the national payroll to county governments.
According to CoG, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had approved salary scales for the workers, and it was agreed that the Ministry of Health would budget for these before any transfer could take place.
“Since the contracts are still valid, the decision to transfer the staff at this time is premature and untimely,” the Council stated.
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Verification Report Still Pending
Another key issue raised by the governors is the lack of an officially validated verification report of all UHC staff across the country.
The verification exercise was intended to establish the exact number of staff hired under the UHC programme, their roles, and their contractual status. However, CoG said the final report had not yet been shared with counties, raising concerns about accountability and transparency.
“The report from the verification exercise for the UHC staff has not been validated and officially shared, and therefore the process of transfer that the Ministry is proposing is not agreed upon,” the governors insisted.
Dispute Over Gratuity Payments
The Council further argued that the Ministry must first settle gratuity payments owed to UHC staff before they are handed over to counties.
UHC workers, currently serving on contractual terms, are entitled to gratuity at the end of their contracts. According to CoG, failing to clear these payments before the transition would unfairly burden counties financially.
“The Ministry of Health should, therefore, settle all gratuity payments for UHC staff before their transition to County Governments,” the Council noted, adding that counties would only facilitate salaries after resources are disbursed and gratuity obligations honored.
Call for Resource Allocation
The governors emphasized that the absorption of UHC workers will only be possible if the National Government allocates adequate funds and channels them directly to counties.
“The National Government, through the Ministry of Health, must allocate and channel the attendant resources to county governments to facilitate the absorption of UHC staff as per the County HR policy. Failure to do so will render the absorption unattainable,” the statement warned.
The Council also accused the Ministry of issuing directives instead of engaging in consultation, which they said contravenes the spirit of devolution.
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“The Constitution provides that both levels of government should relate on the basis of consultation as opposed to directive,” the governors stated.
They argued that unilateral decisions on staffing undermine the principles of partnership between the national and county governments, particularly in the critical area of health service delivery.
Commitment to Collaboration
Despite the disagreement, CoG reaffirmed its willingness to continue engaging the Ministry of Health to resolve the matter amicably.
“The Council of Governors reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively with the Ministry of Health to resolve all matters related to UHC staff management in the spirit of partnership and in the best interest of strengthening health service delivery across the counties,” Governor Njuki concluded.
Background
The UHC programme, introduced as part of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda, was designed to expand access to affordable healthcare services across the country. Thousands of health workers were contracted by the Ministry of Health and deployed to counties to support service delivery.
However, the question of whether the National or County Governments should permanently absorb these staff members has been contentious for years. Counties have repeatedly raised concerns about inadequate funding, lack of clear payroll structures, and unresolved benefits for workers.
With just months before the next financial year allocations are finalized, the standoff between the two levels of government raises uncertainty about the future of UHC staff.
If unresolved, the dispute could disrupt healthcare services across counties, particularly in facilities heavily reliant on UHC workers for critical roles.
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