Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said that the Ministry of Health does not have enough money to employ the Universal Health Coverage workers on Permanent and Pensionable terms.

Responding to concerns on the plight of UHC workers raised by senators Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) and Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga) during a cultural festival event held in Garissa, Duale urged the senators to allocate money for the workers in Parliament so that he could be able to pay them.

The CS also noted that currently, the only money available was Sh3.5 billion, which could only hire the nurses on contract terms.

“Budget-making process is a function of Parliament. The money for the national and county governments is allocated by Parliament through the County Revenue Allocation Bill and the Division of Allocation Bill,” Duale said.

Duale revealed that starting in the next financial year, the payroll for nurses and UHC workers who have signed contracts with the county governments would be transferred to their respective counties, as the governors were better placed to supervise their performance.

“If you are a nurse and you have a contract with the county government, you will be paid by that county government. Starting July 1, I am going to transfer the whole payroll because if you are working for the governor, he or she is the one who knows if you are delivering services or not,” he said.

Apart from calling for the employment of UHC nurses into permanent and pensionable terms, Senator Sifuna urged the governors to forge a united front with the Senate in order to fight for the allocation of Sh450 billion to counties for the coming financial year.

Sometimes we agree with governors to work in a certain direction, but along the way, they abandon us. If we all agree that the roadworks funds should come to counties, let us all stay firm on that. If we say that we don’t want any county to lose money under the new allocation formula, do not go and sign some agreements behind our backs,” Sifuna said.

Senator Osotsi, on his part, said that the Senate would fight for counties by ensuring that they received their allocation on time and that no county would lose money in the sharing formula.