The Council of Governors (CoG) has accused the national government of undermining county operations through mishandling of health sector staffing and the rushed rollout of digital procurement systems.
In a hard-hitting statement issued after an extraordinary sitting, CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi dismissed claims that counties are unwilling to absorb Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, saying the Ministry of Health is misrepresenting facts. He insisted that county governments cannot be bypassed in decisions affecting healthcare personnel.
“The Ministry cannot unilaterally change UHC staff contracts without involving counties,” Abdullahi said, warning that failure to settle outstanding obligations Ksh 7.7 billion in salaries and Ksh 9.4 billion in gratuity will cripple services. He stressed that no staff transfers will proceed until the dues are cleared.
The governors also turned their fire on the National Treasury, faulting the rollout of the new e-Government Procurement System. They said the system, introduced after limited trials in just three counties, has caused widespread disruption.
According to the CoG, the flawed platform has paralyzed procurement processes with the health sector among the worst hit leaving counties struggling to sustain service delivery.
