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Governor Muthomi Njuki urges State to honour UHC workers’ deal
01st September, 2025 12:40 AM
Tharaka Nithi Governor and Chairperson of the Council of Governors’ Health Committee, Muthomi Njuki, has urged the government to honour the agreement made with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers.
Speaking on a local TV station on Sunday, August 31, 2025, He noted that the Health CS Aden Duale has been part of the discussions and that an agreement had already been reached with the ministry on how to address the matter.
Njuki emphasised that the government must urgently provide the necessary resources to ensure UHC staff are absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms.
According to him, the issue has been discussed repeatedly, and what remains is for the government to act on its promise and secure the workers’ employment status to avoid further uncertainty.
“We talk every day with Aden Duale. We have had an agreement with the ministry, and we discussed this issue several times that we need to provide resources for us to have permanent and pensionable in perpetuity,” Njuki said.
Payroll gap
Njuki also warned that counties risk facing a nationwide strike by UHC workers due to a payroll shortfall of KSh 7.8 billion. According to Njuki, 7,476 UHC staff require the funds every year for full absorption, excluding the costs of annual promotions and collective bargaining agreements.
“To put it simply: without the KSh 7.8 billion that is supposed to be given to counties to absorb these staff, it only means that we will transfer the strikes from MoH to the 47 county headquarters,” he cautioned.
Njuki faulted the current system where counties host the workers while the Ministry of Health retains control of the payroll. He described the arrangement as unsustainable and bound to create more conflict.
He explained that the national government had set aside Ksh6.2 billion for the UHC workforce, out of which Ksh700 million has already been used to pay July and August salaries. The remaining Ksh5.4 billion may sustain the workers for ten months, but counties will require additional funds beyond that.
Njuki further raised concerns about procurement delays, saying the suspension of procurement in the first quarter has crippled the purchase of medicines, fuel, and other essential supplies.
“It is impossible to run government for three months without fresh procurement,” he said, adding that relying on an e-procurement system that is not yet ready has worsened the problem.
Despite the challenges, Njuki praised the resilience of UHC staff, noting they have endured poor terms since the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that certificate holders earn about Ksh40,000 and diploma holders about Ksh50,000, nearly half of what other health workers with similar qualifications earn.
“If I were in charge of giving medals, I would give them to the UHC staff,” he remarked.
7,414 verified staff
The UHC dispute has deepened after the Ministry of Health cleared 7,414 verified staff to join the government payroll starting September 2025, after removing more than 200 ghost workers. However, all 47 counties have opposed the directive, saying they do not have funds to absorb the workers permanently.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has responded by saying counties are responsible for UHC staff, including payroll, starting July 1, 2025, as per agreements already made.
Duale acknowledged the financial strain but said the devolution framework must be respected. He noted that UHC staff contracts remain valid until May 2026, after which permanent and pensionable absorption will be considered in the 2026/27 financial year budget.
The CS assured workers that gratuity payments will be processed once contracts expire, as guided by the Public Service Commission.
On the matter of funding, Duale admitted that the Ministry does not have enough money to absorb all UHC staff permanently. He appealed to Members of Parliament to allocate more resources and called for joint efforts with counties to support the transition.
