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The Council of Governors (CoG) has pushed back against a directive by the Ministry of Health to transfer Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff to county governments, insisting that the move cannot proceed without proper financial backing.
In a strongly worded statement, the governors faulted the Ministry for rushing the staff absorption process, saying it goes against earlier agreements between the two levels of government.
“The decision is both premature and impractical. Counties can only take over UHC personnel once the Ministry provides sufficient resources to cover salaries in line with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) guidelines,” said Governor Muthomi Njuki, chair of the CoG Health Committee.
The governors noted that the Ministry had committed to ensuring funds were allocated as per the approved SRC salary scales before payroll responsibilities shifted to counties. They argued that with existing contracts still active, attempting a transfer now was not only disruptive but also unfair to the employees.
Concerns were also raised over the incomplete staff verification exercise, which the CoG said must be concluded and validated before any transition. The issue of gratuity emerged as another sticking point, with the governors insisting that the Ministry must first settle all gratuity obligations owed to contractual staff.
“The Council remains ready to absorb verified UHC personnel once the national government fulfills its part releasing the required resources and clearing gratuity obligations,” the statement read in part.
The CoG warned that without adequate funding, absorbing the health workers would be “unattainable,” cautioning the Ministry against unilateral decisions that undermine intergovernmental relations.
Despite the standoff, governors reassured Kenyans of their commitment to work with the national government in resolving the matter, emphasizing that the goal remains stronger health service delivery across all counties.
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