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National Chairman Kenya Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) Nicholas Odipo and other officials during a press conference in Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
Two public sector unions have threatened to call nationwide protests unless the government halts the rushed formation and operationalisation of the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI).
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) and the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) on Monday, April 28, accused the Ministry of Health of bypassing legal requirements and excluding key stakeholders in the institute’s creation.
“Any formation of government policy must involve stakeholders as a legal requirement and must also look at the future with the present in mind,” said Brown Olaly Ashira, Secretary General and CEO of KEHPHPU.
In a joint statement, the unions criticised a directive issued by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, April 22, which instructed Principal Secretaries to begin transitioning selected public health and laboratory functions to the new institute.
They argued the move lacked a clear legal framework, human resource validation and failed to guarantee job security or protect members’ benefits.
The unions questioned the formation process, claiming the leadership of KNPHI was biased towards clinical cadres and sidelined critical public health officers and laboratory technicians.
“The institute must be led by a mix of implementing cadres, namely public health officers and laboratory technologists with relevant skills and registration,” said Nicholas Odipo, National Chairperson of KNUMLO.
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They further demanded that the board of the new institute reflect a fair representation of all relevant professional cadres. They insisted the institute must advertise for its own staff, develop validated human resource policies and have an independent budget approved by Parliament.
The unions maintained that the transition of public health officers and assets to the new institute was illegal without full stakeholder engagement.
The officials pointed to Article 118 and Article 196 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Employment Act, and the Public Service Commission Act as being violated.
“Until proper frameworks are put in place, we oppose the directive by the Cabinet Secretary to hurriedly and blindly transition our members to KNPHI,” said Ashira.
The unions gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to address their demands. If ignored, they vowed to mobilise mass street protests and seek legal redress.
“We remain available for amicable engagement to find a solution on this very critical matter,” observed Odipo.
The Public Service Commission has yet to comment on the dispute.
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