PS Oluga clashes with Muthomi Njuki over fate of UHC workers
Medical Services Principal Secretary (PS) Ouma Oluga clashed with Tharaka-Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who chairs the health committee in the Council of Governors, over the fate of the striking Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers.
Speaking during a live TV interview, Njuki maintained that the counties would reject any attempt by the Ministry of Health to transfer the payroll of the UHC workers to the counties without first allocating the funds to pay them.
This is after Oluga indicated that the process of transferring the UHC workers’ payroll was on course and that it would be finalised on July 1, 2025.
“Because the contracts have been issued by the county governments, it is only proper that the payroll should also be managed by the county governments. We are going to transfer that payroll effective July 1, 2025,” Oluga said.
Governors object transfer
His sentiments were countered by the Tharaka-Nithi governor, who insisted that resources must follow functions in the event that the ministry decides to transfer the payroll.
“The Council of Governors shot down the idea of transferring the payroll to the counties because the Health CS and PS said they do not have the funds to pay the UHC workers’ gratuity and upscale them to permanent and pensionable status,” Njuki stated.
While Oluga maintained that the contracts of the more than 8,700 UHC workers were signed by the county governments and the payroll should equally be devolved, Njuki questioned why the ministry has in the last five years failed to transfer the funds to counties.
“Why didn’t the Ministry of Health give the county governments funds, even if they were going to be conditional grants, to be able to manage the payroll,” Njuki quipped.
Extended strike
“Why keep the payroll in the Ministry of Health and let the Universal Healthcare Workers work at the counties and be paid by a different entity?”
The UHC workers have been on strike since February 2025, demanding their gratuity payments, remittance of their statutory deductions and confirmation as permanent and pensionable staff.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, indicated that the transfer of the UHC payroll to the counties was inevitable.
“I want to make it categorically clear to my colleagues and friends, the UHC staff. We can talk about other things, but the transfer of UHC payroll to the counties. It is not negotiable. It is the law, it is the constitution,” Duale said.
