Healthcare workers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program staged a protest on Monday outside the Ministry of Health headquarters at Afya House in Nairobi, demanding urgent resolution of long-standing employment issues.
Waving national flags and blowing vuvuzelas, the striking health workers marched to the entrance of Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale’s office, blocking access and calling for a direct audience with the minister.
The workers, who include nurses, clinical officers, lab technicians, public health officers, and community health assistants, have been on strike since February.
Their key grievances include lack of contract renewals, unequal pay, and the failure to transition long-serving staff those with over five years of service onto permanent and pensionable terms.
The ongoing strike has significantly disrupted services in county hospitals where most of these workers are stationed.
Back in March, the health workers twice marched to Parliament to seek intervention from the Senate.
In early April, CS Duale promised to address their concerns within three weeks. However, the workers say no tangible progress has been made.
In a recent move, the national government announced that starting July 1, all UHC staff will be transferred to the payrolls of county governments, raising further concerns among the workers about job security and standardization of employment terms.
Court Orders Extradition Of Afghan National Wanted In The US
