https://nation.africa/kenya/news/governors-reject-plan-counties-to-pay-uhc-workers-5048042

As I write this, I am listening to Davido- Funds ft. ODUMODUBLVCK, Chike. Clearly, this is not the tune the Council of Governors is playing in its discussions with the National Government over the issue of payment of community health workers.

Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Kenya,2010 stipulates a division of roles between the two levels of government as far as health is concerned. This division of roles is often silent on many other areas but the promotion of primary healthcare is not one of them. It clearly assigns this role to the County Governments. Why then are the Governors shunning this responsibility?

The recruitment of these community health workers was part of Kenya’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was in disregard of the Constitutional requirement that Counties should do so, or at least a joint effort between the two levels of government that would ensure the Counties not only supervise but also receive a grant to cover the costs of this workforce. Today, county governments are suddenly faced with an arrangement to take over from the national government, the labor relations of a workforce they have had little to do with in the past five years.

In the past, the National Government has failed to honor payment obligations for responsibilities that county governments have taken up. This is the reason why they shun this responsibility which has now been thrust upon them by the national government. There exists a Health Sector Inter Governmental Consultative Forum which serves, among other things, to bring the two levels of government to a consensus on matters health governance. I suggest that this Forum gets to work on this matter.