A political and policy standoff is escalating over the future of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) interns after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei urged affected health workers to disregard the Council of Governors’ (CoG) opposition and prepare for permanent employment under the national health system.

His remarks come at a time when tensions between county governments and the national government are escalating over the planned absorption of more than 7,000 UHC staff into permanent public service positions.

In a statement on Saturday, June 13, 2026, Cherargei took a firm stance in support of the Ministry of Health’s direction, insisting that the workers’ future in the public health system is secure despite resistance from county leaders.

“To universal Health coverage (UHC) staff under internship ignore the council of Governors (COG) you shall be transited to PERMANENT AND PENSIONABLE TERMS to continue serving our country,” the lawmaker wrote on X.

The senator’s remarks have intensified an already sensitive standoff involving the Council of Governors, which has openly opposed the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) decision to absorb UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms without what it considers proper financial and procedural safeguards.

The Council argues that the move contradicts previously agreed arrangements between the national and county governments regarding staffing, payroll responsibility, and resource allocation in the devolved health sector.

In its position, the Council maintains that absorption should only take place once sufficient funds have been allocated in line with the approved Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) salary scales and after formal agreement on the transfer of payroll to counties.

Tharaka Nithi Governor and Council of Governors Health Committee Chair Muthomi Njuki said the Ministry’s announcement was premature and not aligned with earlier intergovernmental consensus.

“The press contradicts the previously agreed position between the National and County Governments. it was agreed that the Ministry of Health would allocate adequate resources as per the approved SRC salaries scale before the transfer of the payroll to the county Governments. Since the contracts are still valid, the decision to transfer the staff at this time is premature and untimely,” Njuki said.

Njuki further raised concerns about the verification exercise used to determine which UHC staff qualify for absorption, stating that the final report was neither validated nor officially shared with county governments.

He insisted that this lack of transparency undermines the legitimacy of the process and risks creating administrative disputes during implementation.

Of the disagreement is also the question of financial obligations owed to the workers. The Council of Governors has urged the national government to first settle gratuity payments for UHC staff, arguing that they are still under contractual terms and therefore entitled to end-of-service benefits before any transition to county payrolls is effected.

“The Council reiterates its earlier commitment to absorb verified UHC staff and facilitate their salaries in line with the approved SRC salary scales, once the allocation of the resources has been disbursed to the counties, as well as the gratuity obligations have been honoured,” the statement from the Council read.

Despite the objections from county leadership, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has maintained that the government will proceed with the absorption plan.

He confirmed that verified UHC staff will be absorbed beginning September 2025 following a nationwide verification exercise conducted by the State Department for Medical Services in collaboration with the Council of Governors.

According to Duale, the 7,414 staff identified in the process will be divided into two categories: those actively serving and those with pending disciplinary issues.

Only those in active service will be absorbed into permanent and pensionable terms, while individuals with disciplinary concerns will be subjected to further review, including possible removal from the payroll in line with Public Service Commission regulations.

“Staff in active service will be formally transitioned and absorbed with effect from September 2025. UHC Staff members absent from duty or having disciplinary issues will not be absorbed,” Duale stated.

“Such cases will be reviewed in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC), in line with PSC Regulations 2020 on Human Resources, which provide for separation, removal from the payroll, and other disciplinary measures.”