Govt Announces Permanent Hiring of Over 7,000 Temporary Staff

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that it will absorb 7,414 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, meaning that they will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
In a statement on Monday, August 25, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said that the staff will be absorbed by September 2025.
According to Duale, a total of 7,414 individuals across the country have been confirmed to be UHC staff; however, during the absorption, they will be classified into two groups. The first group will comprise those who are in active service, while the second group will be those with pending disciplinary issues.
The government will only absorb those who are in active service, while disciplinary action will be taken against the second group of those with disciplinary issues, which includes removal from the payroll.
“Consequently, 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,” Duale stated.
“UHC Staff members absent from duty or having disciplinary issues 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 Resources, which provides for separation, removal from the payroll, and other disciplinary measures,” he added.
The decision to absorb the staff was made after the State Department for Medical Services, in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG),conducted a verification process of all UHC staff across the countryto verify the staff.
According to Duale, out of the 7,629 UHC staff, 215 of them did not present themselves after having been identified as ghost workers or not qualified health professionals.
The CS has noted that the ministry has already removed ghost workers from the payroll pending further investigations to prosecute, determine, and recover the irregular payment.
“The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Council of Governors, PSC, and other stakeholders, remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in the absorption process while safeguarding the rights of eligible officers,” Duale stated.
Duale assured that staff absorption is part of the government’s wider efforts to streamline the healthcare sector and move the country towards the Universal Health Coverage (uhc) goal.
UHC staff are healthcare workers hired during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration between 2019 and 2020 to help implement the country’s UHC programme. These staff include nurses, clinical officers, public health officers, laboratory technicians, and community health assistants.
Some of these staff, whohave been experiencing recurrent strikes since March, have for months raised concerns about their employment terms, including contract renewals, salary disparities, and transitioning to Permanent and Pensionable (PnP) terms.