As the strike by Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers enters the 17th week, it has emerged that the Ministry of Health has been paying millions of shillings every month to thousands of ghost workers.
Investigations reveal that some 3,000 ghost UHC staff have been pocketing more than Sh1.5 million every month, and taxpayers may have lost close to Sh9 billion since 2020 when the defective payroll started running.
According to the Council of Governors Health Committee, the ministry in 2020 recruited 8,571 UHC workers on behalf of the counties, with a view of building their capacity to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Universal Health Coverage medics protest along Harambe Avenue Nairobi on May 27, 2025 to demand better terms of employment.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
However, the counties now say that they only have slightly more than 5,500 workers on the ground, meaning 3,000 ghost workers have each been drawing a Sh50,000 monthly salary from the ministry.
Additionally, scrutiny of the records shows 47 medics, who have either resigned or passed away, are still on the ministry’s payroll.
“We have now discovered that the Government of Kenya is losing taxpayers’ money by paying ghost UHC workers who cannot be accounted for because the list with the counties indicates that we have 8,571 medics. But when we look in our hospitals they are not there because 3,000 of them are ghost workers,” Council of Governors Health Committee Chairman Muthomi Njuki said.
For more than 16 weeks now, UHC staff have boycotted work to demand permanent and pensionable employment and gratuity.
“Even if the UHC medics are on strike over permanent and pensionable jobs and gratuity, which I agree is their right and should be paid, it is important for us to do a headcount,” Mr Njuki, who is also Tharaka-Nithi governor, said.
He has since requested the ministry to share the official payroll records they have been using since the data that was sent to the counties is different from the one they have.
Mr Njuki said that in Tharaka-Nithi County, for instance, they employed 219 medics under UHC in 2020. However, according to the list, the number increased to over 223 workers.
Universal Health Coverage medics protest along Harambe Avenue Nairobi on May 27, 2025 to demand better terms of employment.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
“We need to know them by names and verify who they are,” he said
Mr Njuki claimed that there are powerful forces within the ministry opposing efforts by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to transfer the UHC payroll to counties, where it can be verified and properly managed.
"There are cartels in the Health ministry which don't want Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to transfer the payroll to counties because they benefit from the current chaotic system," the governor stated.
“Once that headcount is done, they can now be given their permanent and pensionable terms and gratuity so that those who wish to leave may do so while the ones who want to stay may be absorbed in the counties.”
On May 14, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga wrote to Council of Governors Chief Executive Officer Mary Mwiti on the discrepancies in the official payroll data in their system.
“We take note that the data presented on UHC has some differences with our payroll records and therefore this is to request you to liaise with various counties and the state department to harmonise the data. You are requested to liaise with each county to confirm the number of staff under them and their details,” the letter reads in part.
“It is also noted that several UHC officers are currently on salary stoppage due to various misconduct including non-compliance and absence, each county is required to conclude the disciplinary cases against the officers to enable their deletion from payroll or as it may be determined.”
In the letter, he attached a summary of payroll data and a detailed list of UHC officers in each county.
“The work of the Health ministry has been to pay salaries, which, upon getting here, both CS Duale and I found this to be against the law which is why, we have therefore decided that beginning July 1st 2025 all UHC staff will be paid by counties with whom they have signed legally binding contracts.”
When Nation compared the official payroll data from the Ministry of Health against the headcount data collected from 20 counties, we established that Wajir County has 61 more workers from the initial 46, Kisii has 34, Meru 25, Murang’a 24, Nairobi 17, Siaya 13, Garissa nine, Taita-Taveta five, Tharaka- Nithi four and Embu four.
Tana River, Isiolo, Machakos and Nakuru counties have three ghost workers each, Kakamega has two while Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kwale, Makueni, Narok and Mombasa have one each.
UHC National Chair Desmond Wafula appeared to confirm that the Health ministry data was not tallying with the governors’ records. He gave an example of Taita-Taveta County where two UHC medics passed away but are still listed as active in the payroll.
“Who pockets their salaries?” Mr Wafula asked, while noting that Nairobi County has a discrepancy of 17 medics who have already resigned but are still listed on the payroll.
“Nairobi County has 103 active UHC medics based on the headcount we have just conducted this morning, but as per the payroll data the Health ministry insists that they are 120,” Mr Wafula said.
“Wajir County has only 46 active UHC medics, but according to the official Health ministry payroll, they are 107, which means there are additional 61 people collecting salaries every month under UHC workers umbrella,” he said.
Mr Hamud Mohammed, medics’ representative in Wajir County, said: “We have never seen or met these other 61 people who continue earning salaries every month for no work done,” he told Nation on Monday after conducting a headcount of his members.”
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) National Deputy Chair Hesbon Ochienku (center, blue suit) addresses protesting medics outside the National Treasury building on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Mr Wafula alleged that they had identified some individuals who were already employed by the Health ministry in other capacities but are also on the payroll list as UHC medics, when they are not.
CS Duale explained that when he got to Afya House things were “rotten” and that is the reason why he directed PS Oluga to order a fresh headcount because the discrepancies in the official data were glaring.
“I have written to the Council of Governors and next week we will do a proper head count because UHC medics have signed a contract with county governments. We as the Ministry of Health just play an advisory role which is what we have done for the last five years because the agreement was that we help counties recruit. Which is why the Public Service Commission put out an advertisement,” the minister said.
“We first want to know exactly how many they are,” he said.
