Tharaka Nithi Governor and Council of Governors Health Committee chairperson Muthomi Njuki has come out to support a proposal by the Ministry of Health to transfer the Universal Health Coverage staff to counties but wants a headcount done to ascertain their exact number.
According to Governor Njuki, there is a probability of about 3,000 ghost workers in the UHC staff, saying the centralized payment of the staff at the Ministry of Health has contributed greatly to the discrepancies being witnessed.
In a statement delivered at the Kibugua stadium as he presided over this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations, Governor Njuki noted that millions of taxpayers’ money were being lost through the payment of ghost UHC staff and the headcount would be the only panacea to getting the real figures.
“As per the payroll run by the National Government, we have 8700 UHC workers in all the counties and 219 specifically in our county. However, we cannot account for this figure and about 3000 workers left jobs for one reason or another, and others have also departed. It is for this reason that we insist on a headcount in order to have the real figure,” said Governor Njuki.
He said all these workers were recruited at the county level but paid by the national government, which cannot be accepted since the latter cannot ascertain whether all these people are on duty or not.
“Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has proposed a headcount be carried out and we are in support with this. Once this is done, the workers can then be employed on a permanent and pensionable basis, which is their right, ” said Mr Njuki.
He added: “This is our irreducible minimum as county governments because we cannot orchestrate the loss of taxpayers’ money through the payment of ghost workers.”
By Dickson Mwiti
