Principal Secretary for the State Department of Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga has slammed Nation Media Group, for insinuating there's a rift between the Ps and the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health.
In a publication on the Daily Nation, the media entity had claimed there's a dispute between the Ps, with Health Cs Aden Duale, regarding the transfer of staff under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
In a statement on Thursday, Dr. Oluga clarified that his recent communication to the Council of Governors (CoG) was intended to reinforce, not contradict, CS Duale’s announcement on the absorption of UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms.
“The Principal Secretary’s letter to the CoG CEO focused on verifying which staff are on duty and which are not, for purposes of payroll cleansing. This exercise is both routine and legally required as part of the accounting officer’s responsibility,” Oluga said.
The Ps, insisted that his letter was in line with the ministry’s reform agenda, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and fairness in the management of the UHC workforce.
“The PS’s letter and the CS’s announcement complement and reinforce each other as part of a coordinated reform agenda,” he added.
Dr. Oluga refuted the daily nation publication claims, insisting the Ministry of Health is working as a unit and is committed to ensuring the welfare of medics is a priority. He urged the media to verify information, noting the important role the media plays in informing the public. Nation Media group has since recalled the article.
Oluga assured that all duly verified UHC staff will be absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms starting September 2025.
“The Government remains committed to strengthening human resources for health as a cornerstone of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and delivering quality health services to all Kenyans.” said Dr. Oluga.
Over 7,400 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff have been cleared for formal absorption into the government payroll from September, following a nationwide verification exercise that identified and removed ghost workers and unqualified personnel.
In a statement on Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the joint headcount exercise conducted by the State Department for Medical Services in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG) saw 7,629 staff verified across the country.
However, 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.
Duale said their salaries have been stopped and they have been removed from the payroll pending further investigations to prosecute, determine and recover the irregular payment.
He added that the remaining 7,414 staff will be categorised into two groups: those currently in active service and those with pending disciplinary issues.
“Staff in active service will be formally transitioned and absorbed with effect from September 2025,” he said.
He warned that UHC staff members who are absent from duty or facing disciplinary proceedings 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,” Duale said.
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the CoG, PSC, and other stakeholders, said it remains steadfast in ensuring fairness, accountability, and transparency in the absorption process while safeguarding the rights of eligible officers.
“This process underscores our 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,” Duale added.
