The Council of Governors and the Ministry of Health are to conduct a joint audit of the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) workforce under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.

The two entities further agreed that the ministry will continue managing the payroll for UHC workers until the expiry of their current contracts and full payment of gratuities.

Led by CoG chair Ahmed Abdullahi and Health Committee Chair Muthomi Njuki, the team held a consultative meeting with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to address pressing issues affecting the health sector.

The high-level discussions focused on UHC workers, the National Equipment Support Program (NESP), the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), and the administration of health-related conditional grants.

The ministry also committed to allocating funds in the next financial year to enable the recruitment of UHC workers on a Permanent and Pensionable basis, signalling a move toward long-term workforce stability.

On NESP, both levels of government recognised the need to streamline fund disbursement by cutting through the red tape.

The COG Health Committee will explore amending the Intergovernmental Participation Agreement to support smoother implementation before presenting it to the full Council.

The Project Implementation Unit will also be revamped to improve responsiveness and oversight in handling project execution challenges.

In response to ongoing concerns about procurement, it was agreed that the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority will revise its product supply proposal.

The revised plan will address key issues, including clear differentiation of medicine origin, challenges in centralised procurement, and the accumulation of slow-moving pharmaceutical products.

Last month, the government indicated it would absorb UHC staff into permanent and pensionable arrangements.

However, this has to wait for one more year in a process that involves verification of UHC staff returns, and allowing them to run down their contract.