Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff held a protest in Bungoma town on Thursday, marching to the governor’s office to present their grievances and appeal for immediate government action.
The workers warned that if their concerns are not addressed, they will escalate their protest to the Ministry of Health headquarters in Nairobi.
Among their key demands are being absorbed into permanent and pensionable employment, and receiving their pending gratuity payments. They are urging the government to release Ksh 270 million to facilitate the transition of 245 UHC staff in Bungoma County from contract terms to permanent and to clear their gratuity arrears. Currently employed on contracts, the staff have long been calling for this transition.
Further, the UHC workforce in the whole country stands at approximately 8,571, demanding a budget allocation of Ksh 3.5 billion to facilitate their conversion to permanent and pensionable terms.
The UHC program was initiated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2020, with staff initially employed on three year contracts. Upon completion, they were promised permanent positions but instead received an additional one year contract, with yet another unfulfilled assurance of transitioning.
“We are now working on temporary contracts for almost six to seven years under harsh conditions. We are tired,” said Emmanuel Kilui, a UHC worker.
The staff have vowed not to return to work until their demands are fully addressed.
“3.5 billion is a very small amount to government. We want our issues resolved at the national level before we are handed over to counties, which have been neglecting UHC staff,” said Elias Mutai, a GHC representative.
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