The fate of more than 8,500 healthcare workers who have been demanding to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms hangs in the balance after the Cabinet Secretary for Health declared that there is no money.
CS Duale declared that the national government has no money to hire nurses on permanent terms.
“Listen to me you nurses, I have no money. I only have Sh3.5 billion for your contract terms,” he said.
He claimed that he was shocked that he found the same amount idling at Afya House when the constitution spells out clearly that resources follow functions.
“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.
He maintained that the responsibility of paying nurses and deciding their terms of engagement squarely falls on the governors.
“It is the governor who will know if you have been working or not. How will I know what is happening at the county level when I am sited at Afya House?” he posed.
The more than 8,500 healthcare workers employed on contract under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme have been protesting demanding immediate absorption into permanent and pensionable terms and payment of long promised gratuity.
Senator Sifuna, speaking at the same event, had asked the ministry of health to find money and have the nurses employed permanently.
“CS Duale, please find a way to solve the issue of UHC health workers. I am troubled by phones from these health workers who are demanding permanent and pensionable terms. Please save me,” Senator Sifuna said.
According to the Nairobi Senator and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General, the national government has more than enough funds to hire the health workers.
“I am responding to phone calls and text messages late in the night. These are health workers concerned about their welfare. Please CS Duale save my marriage because my wife thinks I am in other businesses when my phone rings at night,” he said, claiming the health workers are calling him at odd hours seeking his intervention.
But an adamant CS blamed both the Senate and the National Assembly for the UHC health workers’ woes.
“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 said.
A defiant Mr Duale advised the nurses to take their demonstration to both the National assembly and the Senate.
“If I don’t get that extra amount then nurses can take the demonstrations to the National Assembly. I am as straight as that,” he said.
He maintained that the constitution has spelled out clearly every ones’ roles and that the budget making process in a function of the parliament and division of revenue is done at the Senate.
CS Duale urged nurses to push both the Senate and National Assembly through the leaders to allocate funds for payment.
“Your leaders go to both the Senate and the National Assembly to ask for funds so that we can employ you on permanent and pensionable terms,” he said.
The health workers who were deployed to the Covid-19 frontlines in 2020, said they have been left in limbo for five years.
Vihiga Senator and ODM deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi had also asked CS Duale to solve the impasse between the health workers and the government.
“I understand you are doing a good job at the ministry of Health but please help solve the issue of health workers so that they can be absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms,” Mr Osotsi said.
