UHC Staff to Be Fully Employed by September, Health CS Aden Duale Announces
- More than 7,400 health workers verified under the Universal Health Coverage programme set to be absorbed from September
- Health CS Aden Duale said a headcount revealed ghost workers and irregularities on the payroll
- Government pledged fairness, accountability and reforms to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide
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TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Kenya’s health sector is set for a major boost after the government announced that thousands of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff will be fully employed starting September.
Source: Twitter
In a statement issued on Monday, August 25, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed that 7,414 health workers had been cleared for absorption.
This followed a joint headcount exercise carried out by the state department for medical services in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG).
Are there ghost workers under UHC programme?
According to Duale, the verification exercise was meant to clean up the UHC payroll and identify irregularities that had affected the programme.
“Verification of UHC staff is now substantially complete. Out of the 7,629 staff verified, 215 did not present themselves, having been identified as either non-existent (ghost workers) or not qualified health professionals,” he said.
The CS explained that salaries of those flagged had been stopped and their names removed from the payroll.
“Their cases will be pursued to determine liability and recover any irregular payments,” he added.
When will government absorb UHC staff?
Those cleared, Duale said, would be categorised into two groups: active staff in service and those with pending disciplinary issues.
While active workers will be absorbed from September, employees with unresolved disciplinary cases will only be considered once their matters are concluded.
“UHC staff members absent from duty or having disciplinary issues will not be absorbed. Such cases will be reviewed in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC), in line with PSC Regulations 2020 on Human Resource which provides for separation, removal from the payroll, and other disciplinary measures,” the statement read.
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Duale stressed that the exercise was part of wider reforms in the health sector aimed at ensuring transparency and protecting public resources.
He noted that the Ministry of Health, together with the CoG, PSC and other partners, was determined to guarantee fairness while safeguarding the rights of genuine officers.
He reaffirmed the government’s pledge to deliver equitable and quality healthcare to Kenyans.
“This process underscores the unwavering commitment to reforms in the health sector, efficient management of public resources, and realisation of the Government’s pledge to achieve Universal Health Coverage for all Kenyans,” he said.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
