Civil servants have issued a 14-day strike notice to the government, citing frustrations over poor treatment and neglect of their welfare. The workers are demanding urgent action to address salary deductions linked to unpaid medical bills, warning that failure to resolve the issue will result in a nationwide strike.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, March 4, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) announced that its members will down their tools on Monday, March 18, if the government does not settle outstanding hospital bills under the Public Officers Medical Fund (POMF). The union lamented that public servants have been left stranded, unable to access medical care, despite their salaries being deducted to support the fund.
The POMF is a healthcare scheme for civil servants under the Social Health Authority (SHA), designed to provide comprehensive medical coverage for public employees and their families. It was introduced to supplement the basic social health insurance package, ensuring civil servants receive enhanced medical benefits.
During the press briefing, UKCS leaders, joined by officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), accused the government of failing to honor its obligations. They revealed that hospitals across the country have stopped offering services under the scheme due to non-payment of claims.
KMPDU Secretary-General Davji Atellah reminded the public that the medical cover was established in 2012 after civil servants agreed to forfeit their medical allowance in exchange for an insurance scheme. However, workers are now struggling to access treatment.
“Public servants are in a dire situation. They are being deducted twice—2.75 percent of their salaries for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the forfeiture of their medical allowance to POMF—yet they are being forced to raise funds for medical expenses,” Atellah stated.
The unions criticized the government for failing to pay hospital bills, pushing medical facilities to withdraw services. They pointed out that this crisis is linked to the transition from the previous fee-for-service model to the SHA system, which took effect following the enactment of the SHA Act in 2023.
UKCS Secretary-General Tom Odege issued a stern warning, giving the government two weeks to resolve the crisis. He declared that if the issue is not addressed, civil servants from both national and county governments will stage mass demonstrations starting on March 18.
“If this matter is not resolved, we will not hesitate to take action. We are giving the government 14 days, and if they do not fix this, we will mobilize workers for demonstrations. If necessary, we will shut down all government operations within 30 days,” Odege warned.
This looming strike comes at a time when the government is grappling with a financial crisis under the new health system. The Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in October 2023, has faced several operational challenges.
Last month, while addressing the media at Afya House, Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, alongside Director General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, admitted that the government is struggling to clear patient bills due to a funding shortfall. They revealed that out of the 19 million Kenyans registered under the national health scheme, only 3.3 million are actively contributing.
Dr. Amoth stressed that healthcare services are costly and cannot be sustained if only formally employed individuals bear the financial burden. The government has since called on more Kenyans to enroll in the scheme to help ease the strain.
As tensions escalate, civil servants are growing impatient, demanding immediate intervention to prevent a total collapse of the health coverage system. If the government fails to act, Kenya could be staring at a major shutdown of public services in the coming weeks.
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