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- Promote, Prevent, Protect: Walter Omiti on Why UHC Success Depends on Absorbing Healthcare Workers Permanently
Promote, Prevent, Protect: Walter Omiti on Why UHC Success Depends on Absorbing Healthcare Workers Permanently
Gerald Kombo
September 05, 2025
At the Ngong Hills Hotel in Nairobi, the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) addressed the press with a firm and urgent message: Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) cannot succeed if the healthcare workers driving it remain trapped in short-term, precarious contracts.
Walter Omiti, Chairman of the Nairobi Branch of KEHPHPU, stood at the center of the briefing. Speaking with conviction, he unpacked not just the union’s support for the presidential directive to absorb UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms, but also the deeper structural issues threatening both healthcare workers’ morale and the effectiveness of the entire UHC program.
“UHC Cannot Be Built on Precarious Labour”
Omiti began by praising the President’s directive but emphasized that implementation must be real and immediate:
“The President’s directive to absorb UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms is not just a labour issue. It is a matter of public health survival. If counties and the Ministry of Health want to talk about UHC seriously, then the people running the program - from environmental health officers to public health technicians - cannot be casualized. UHC cannot be built on precarious labour.”
For him, the connection between job security and health outcomes is undeniable. Without guaranteed terms, healthcare workers face constant anxiety, leading to high turnover, weakened emergency response capacity, and demotivation.
Schemes of Service vs. Career Progression
One of the more detailed frustrations Omiti raised was the confusion between schemes of service and career progression guidelines.
“For too long, we have been subjected to career progression guidelines that have no legal basis. They are just administrative tricks to deny us our rightful schemes of service. A scheme of service is a legal document that defines duties, qualifications, and clear promotion pathways. But what we have instead are guidelines that counties use selectively, and this has destroyed staff morale.”
He noted that counties continue to use the ambiguity to avoid standardization, undermining professional growth for thousands of healthcare workers.
Counties’ Reluctance and CoG Resistance
Omiti was blunt about where he sees resistance:
“The Council of Governors (CoG) has been one of the biggest obstacles. They claim they cannot absorb staff permanently because of wage bills. But if healthcare is a devolved function, then counties cannot cherry-pick what to implement. They receive money for UHC, yet they want to keep workers on contracts. That is unacceptable.”
He added that procurement interests often sabotage reforms. “Some county officials are happy with the instability,” he said, “because a weak workforce means less scrutiny of how funds are spent.”
Lessons from COVID-19
Drawing on recent history, Omiti reminded the room of what happened during the pandemic:
“During COVID-19, Kenya realized the importance of having a stable and motivated workforce. Many of us were on the frontlines, risking our lives, yet we remained on temporary contracts. When the crisis ended, the government forgot us again. If another pandemic comes tomorrow, how will we respond when healthcare workers feel betrayed?”
The union, he argued, is determined not to let those lessons fade into policy neglect.
Emergency Preparedness and UHC Delivery
Omiti linked staff absorption directly to emergency preparedness.
“If cholera breaks out in Kisumu, if malaria surges in Busia, or if Ebola crosses from Uganda, it is the public health practitioners who move first. But if those practitioners are demoralized, underpaid, and insecure about their future, the entire system collapses. That is why we insist: absorption is not just about salaries. It is about protecting Kenyans.”
Industrial Action on the Horizon
The Chairman did not mince words about next steps
“We have given dialogue a chance. But if counties and the Ministry continue dragging their feet, we are ready for industrial action. Our members are tired of promises. This time we will not back down.”
He clarified that the union is not seeking confrontation for its own sake but is prepared to act if pushed.
The Bigger Picture: Financing UHC
Omiti also tied the workers’ issue to the sustainability of UHC financing.
“UHC is a noble program. But without proper financing, it will collapse. Workers must be absorbed into the permanent system, and counties must be transparent with funds. Otherwise, UHC becomes another political slogan with no substance.”
He urged Parliament to allocate ring-fenced budgets for UHC salaries and called for stronger oversight of county spending.
A Vision Beyond the Present
Beyond the immediate labour demands, Omiti painted a broader vision of what UHC could mean for Kenya if properly managed:
“We want a Kenya where every citizen can walk into a facility and get care without worrying about cost. We want a workforce that is proud, secure, and motivated. We want systems that prevent disease, not just treat it. That is the meaning of our motto - promote, prevent, protect. But that vision begins with respecting the people who deliver the service.”
Conclusion: The Union’s Stand
As the press conference wrapped up, one message was clear: KEHPHPU will not let the presidential directive be watered down by bureaucracy, county politics, or budget excuses.
Omiti closed with a sharp reminder:
“If we can afford billions for procurement scandals, we can afford to pay healthcare workers properly. If we can absorb other cadres permanently, then UHC workers must be absorbed too. Anything less is a betrayal of the Kenyan people.”
The union, he said, is ready to stand by its members and fight until the directive is implemented fully.
