Mombasa MCAs query health staffing records over conflicting worker data
The matter came to light during a joint sitting of the Health and Labour Committees, where county officials were summoned to explain the process of absorbing casual staff.
Mombasa Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have raised serious questions over the reliability of staffing data in the county’s health sector after conflicting reports were presented on the number of casual workers at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH).
The matter came to light during a joint sitting of the Health and Labour Committees, where county officials were summoned to explain the process of absorbing casual staff.
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The committees, chaired by MCA Bernard Ogutu and MCA Jacktone Madialo, were tasked with scrutinising the Governor’s directive to formalise the positions of long-serving workers who have been engaged without contracts for years.
At the hearing, County Executive Committee Member for Health, Swabah Ahmed, admitted that the hospital has, for years, depended on casual labour to fill gaps in service delivery.
She revealed that some of the workers have served between ten and fifteen years under temporary terms, creating not only staffing instability but also concerns about fairness and employee welfare.
Swabah explained that Governor Abdulswamad Nassir had instructed the department to place the casuals on three-year contracts to improve human resource management, reduce turnover, and safeguard staff benefits.
She said the decision was also meant to address attrition, where workers left the service without compensation after years of casual employment.
However, the presentation by Director of Human Resources, Suleiman Lugogo, raised eyebrows after he gave a different set of figures from those earlier provided by the Governor. While the directive was anchored on 476 casual workers, Lugogo’s records showed 543, a figure that also did not match data held by the Mombasa County Public Service Board.
The inconsistencies prompted MCAs to question whether the department was inflating numbers, mishandling records, or concealing irregularities in the employment process.
Committee members demanded clarity on the total number of casuals, the criteria used in the regularisation exercise, and the reasons why some staff had not yet been absorbed despite their long years of service.
The committee warned that unresolved discrepancies could expose the county to financial and legal risks.
Both Swabah and Lugogo acknowledged the gaps and pledged to conduct an internal audit in consultation with the Public Service Board to reconcile the records. They assured the assembly that accurate information would be provided once verification was complete.
Following the exchanges, the joint committees directed the Department of Health and the Public Service Board to prepare a comprehensive report outlining the verified number of casual workers, the status of their absorption, and the procedures followed.
The report is expected to be tabled before the assembly for further debate.
The scrutiny highlights broader concerns about employment practices in Mombasa’s public health system, where reliance on casual labour has persisted for decades.
Assembly members insist that unless the discrepancies are resolved, the credibility of the county’s staffing reforms will remain in doubt.
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