Health Workers Issue 14-Day Nationwide Strike Notice Over UHC Jobs

Kenyan Health Workers Union issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice on July 6, 2026, over county governments’ delays in transitioning 7,600 Universal Health Coverage workers to permanent and pensionable terms.

The move comes after their contract expired on June 30, 2026, after the health workers were contracted to support the Universal Health Coverage rollout across counties.

Union officials addressed the media in Nairobi and said UHC workers’ contracts expired on June 30, yet many have not received appointment letters confirming permanent employment despite funds being allocated by the National Assembly.

“This strike notice is not going to be for UHC alone. All our members working in public health facilities in this country will join the UHC on strike,” a union official stated, adding, “we will be on strike until such a day the transition shall have been fully implemented and UHC given appointment letters by their respective county public service boards.”

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Health Workers Union’s Planned Demonstrations and Strike Action for UHC Workers Awaiting Permanent Employment Letters

The union confirmed it served the strike notice and has activated all its teams in respective counties using the slogan ‘comrades’ power.

Officials said they will hold demonstrations weekly and pitch camp at the Ministry of Health headquarters until UHC workers receive their PNP letters.

“We are going to have demonstrations every week. We need them to come here. We are going to pitch camp at the Ministry headquarters and ensure that our colleagues, the UHC colleagues, receive their PNP letters,” an official told journalists.

The board stated the 14-day notice means health workers could down tools if counties fail to issue appointment letters by the deadline.

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Public Health Workers’ Strike Over Transition to Permanent Employment and Lack of Government Response

The union maintains that all public health facility members will join the action until county public service boards complete the transition.

The board further warned the government against using the transition of UHC staff as a political bargaining tool.

Their contracts lapsed on June 30, 2026, and a lot have yet to receive appointment letters even after National Assembly money was availed.

The contract was signed for the use of 7,600 UHC workers for scaling up health service delivery through the UHC programme.

The Ministry of Health has not made any statement regarding the matter or commented on the movement of the 7,600 UHC employees from contract to permanent and pensionable status.

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Health Unions Issue 14 Day Strike Notice Over UHC Jobs. Photo/file