Isiolo health promoters demand payment of stipends, threaten to stage protests at county offices

Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Isiolo's Kinna ward have protested unpaid stipends that have accumulated for more than a year and ordered the county health department to address the issue in a week.

The irate public health workers threatened to march to the county headquarters offices in Isiolo town to demand their dues if the county government failed to respond or show commitment to address their grievances within the period.

Led by Ali Godana from the Kulamawe area, the CHPs accused Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo's administration of being inconsiderate for not paying their dues, despite continually providing services to the public in remote areas.

"Failure to pay the stipend is making it hard for us to effectively discharge our mandate because like other Kenyans, we also have families to fend for and bills to take care of," he said.

The CHPs, formerly Community Health Volunteers, offer prenatal care, immunisation, nutrition education and treat common illnesses such as flu during home visits with each tasked to oversee the health of at least 100 households.

Equipped with smartphones, among other kits with an electronic information system, the trained workers also collect vital data from the communities.

Another worker only identified as Halima said the mistreatment was demotivating them as it showed the county government was not appreciating their work of promoting preventive healthcare which is crucial in achieving President William Ruto's Universal Health Coverage.

"Is it fair to treat someone who dedicates their time to bridge the gap between the communities and health facilities through health promotion and facilitation of referrals with such insensitivity?" she posed.

The majority of them narrated how they were struggling to fend for their families while others reported having had their rented houses locked up due to rent arrears.

The government in February this year committed Sh3 billion for payment of stipends for 107, 000 CHPs across the country through a collaborative effort with the county governments which were expected to allocate matching funds (50:50 basis).

Contacted, County Public Health Chief Officer Bisharo Hassan referred Eastleigh Voice to Deputy Governor James Lowasa who also doubles up as the County Health Executive for a comment but he was unreachable by the time of going to press.