The government has maintained that strengthening intergovernmental collaboration remains central to the success of Kenya’s health sector reforms and the sustainability of healthcare delivery.
This call was reaffirmed by Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale when he joined the Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, governors, and other leaders during a Special Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), where the Council deliberated on critical matters affecting the financing, workforce, and continuity of healthcare services across the country.
A key focus of the discussions was the transition of 7,789 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers to Permanent and Pensionable terms, pursuant to the directive of H.E. President William Ruto.
According to the CS, the government has allocated Sh8.6 billion, inclusive of statutory employer contributions, to facilitate this transition.
Further, Duale reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of the affected health workers while ensuring that administrative processes do not interrupt service delivery.
“Following challenges experienced during the transfer of the workers from the National Government payroll to County Government payrolls, measures were undertaken to safeguard salary payments as consultations continue towards a sustainable transition framework,” he disclosed.
Additionally, the Council also reviewed progress in the implementation of the statutory remittance of Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions.
“At the same time, significant progress continues to be recorded in the settlement of legitimate healthcare provider claims, with the overall claims settlement rate across the 47 counties currently standing at 78 percent and Sh159.3 billion already paid.
In this regard, the CS said efforts to resolve legacy obligations inherited from the former NHIF are similarly advancing as he announced that the reconciliation and sign-off process for claims of Sh10 million and below per facility has been completed for 3,526 healthcare facilities, with 3,058 facilities having received payments amounting to Sh3.63 billion.
The IBEC session further considered the proposal to review the statutory SHA remittance deadline from the 9th to the 25th of each month, a proposal which still remains under consideration and has not been formalised or gazetted.
Following the directive issued by President William Ruto, during the Kenya Health Summit listen-in session on 29th August, the Ministry of Health and the National Treasury are working jointly towards finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), while taking into consideration the requisite legal, administrative, and systems implications.
Meanwhile, the deliberations reaffirmed the importance of coordinated action between the national and county governments in advancing the country’s health transformation agenda.
Notably, sustained collaboration will be critical in strengthening the health workforce, improving financial predictability, settling legitimate provider claims, and ensuring uninterrupted access to quality healthcare.
Under the Taifa Care agenda, the government remains focused on building a resilient, responsive, and sustainable health system that places the well-being of every Kenyan at the center of healthcare delivery.
By Michael Omondi
