Ministry of Health, governors agree to joint audit of UHC staff
Until current contracts end and gratuities are fully paid, the Health Ministry will continue managing the payroll for UHC workers, easing recent tensions over payment responsibilities.
The Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors have agreed to carry out a joint audit of all Community Health Promoters under the Universal Health Coverage programme, in a move aimed at cleaning up workforce records and paving the way for long-term job stability.
This was among the key resolutions from a high-level consultative meeting between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi, and CoG Health Committee Chair Muthomi Njuki.
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The talks tackled critical health issues, including the UHC workforce, the National Equipment Support Programme, the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, and conditional health grants.
Until current contracts end and gratuities are fully paid, the Health Ministry will continue managing the payroll for UHC workers, easing recent tensions over payment responsibilities.
The ministry further committed to allocating funds in the upcoming financial year for the recruitment of UHC workers on permanent and pensionable terms.
“Both parties resolved to conduct a joint audit of the Community Health Promoters’ workforce under the Universal Health Coverage programme,” the statement read.
On the National Equipment Support Programme, both levels of government agreed on the need to streamline the flow of funds by eliminating bureaucratic delays.
The CoG Health Committee will explore changes to the Intergovernmental Participation Agreement to make implementation easier, with plans to submit the revised version to the full Council for approval.
In addition, the Project Implementation Unit will be revamped to enhance responsiveness and oversight in tackling delays and other challenges during project execution.
Concerns around drug supply and procurement through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority were also addressed.
A revised product supply proposal is being prepared to deal with complaints such as the lack of clear medicine origin labelling, challenges of centralised procurement, and the stockpiling of slow-moving pharmaceutical products.
The government had earlier announced that UHC staff would eventually be absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms.
However, the move will take one more year, pending full verification of staff records and the natural completion of their contracts.
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