Duale Says Government Cannot Afford to Hire UHC Medics Permanently

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has declared that the national government lacks the funds to employ over 8,500 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) healthcare workers on permanent and pensionable terms, shifting the responsibility to county governments.

“Listen to me you nurses, I have no money. I only have Sh3.5 billion for your contract terms,” Duale stated emphatically during an appearance before the National Assembly Health Committee last Thursday.

The CS insisted that county governments, not the national administration, should bear the responsibility for healthcare workers’ employment terms and remuneration.

The announcement has left thousands of healthcare workers in limbo, many of whom have been employed on contract basis since being deployed to COVID-19 frontlines in 2020.

For five years, these medical professionals have been advocating for permanent employment and the payment of promised gratuity.

Duale explained that according to constitutional provisions, healthcare resources and responsibilities should be managed at the county level.

“If you are a nurse and you signed a contract with the county government, then your pay shall be at the county government offices by July 1, 2025, because I am transferring the whole payroll to the counties,” he said.

The CS expressed surprise at finding Sh3.5 billion “idling at Afya House” when, according to him, those funds should have been channeled to county governments in accordance with the principle that “resources follow functions.”

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna had appealed to Duale during the same meeting to find an “amicable solution” to the healthcare workers’ crisis, claiming the national government possesses sufficient resources to permanently employ the medical staff.

“I am troubled by phone calls from these health workers who are demanding permanent and pensionable terms,” Sifuna said, adding that the situation was affecting his personal life as healthcare workers were contacting him at odd hours seeking intervention.

However, Duale remained unmoved, instead pointing fingers at both houses of Parliament.

“The Senate promised to have the county allocation raised to Sh450 billion inclusive of what to pay the nurses. If the senators give me Sh4.2 billion, then I will comfortably pay the nurses,” he countered.

The Health CS advised the protesting healthcare workers to redirect their demonstrations to Parliament.

“If I don’t get that extra amount, then nurses can take the demonstrations to the National Assembly,” he stated, emphasizing that budget allocation is primarily a parliamentary function.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi also urged Duale to resolve the impasse, requesting that the healthcare workers be absorbed on permanent terms.

As the standoff continues, the future remains uncertain for thousands of healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of Kenya’s public health response for half a decade, with each level of government seemingly unwilling to take financial responsibility for their employment security.