Governor Mwadime pledges to pay 1400 health promoters six-month stipend

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime has assured 1,400 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) that their stipend arrears will be paid this week after a year of waiting and disappointment.

The CHPs were to receive a monthly stipend of Sh5,000 each, with the county and national governments contributing half of the amount. However, while the national government has consistently paid its share, the county has not remitted its portion since the inception of the programme a year ago.

Last month, dozens of CHPs stormed the county assembly demanding payment from the county administration.

The CHPs, mainly from Wundanyi Constituency, told members of the county assembly that the administration owed them 13 months’ worth of stipends.

“We will withdraw our services in the region if we are not paid our arrears for 13 months. We have children to feed and educate, and the failure to pay us our paltry stipend has negatively impacted our lives," warned Johnston Mwatoa, one of the affected CHPs.

He said they have gone without pay for over a year. “Despite the lack of pay and logistical hurdles, we have been struggling to better our community, but the county government has been ignoring us," he added.

Yesterday, Mr Mwadime guaranteed the protesting workers that they would receive their stipends before the end of this week.

“This county is among 11 marginalised counties that have been receiving low sharable allocations from the national government. I have sourced some funds and will pay six months' stipend arrears this week,” Mwadime assured.

The protest over delayed payments comes at a time when the county is grappling with low revenue collection, huge pending bills, and a bloated workforce that has severely affected the delivery of quality services.

It also comes at a time when the county administration has been accused of failing to remit loan deductions and monthly savings for its staff, amounting to millions of shillings.

Rong’e Ward Representative Ms Dorcus Mlughu questioned why the executive was not paying stipends for CHPs, yet it has been receiving its fair share of allocations from the national government.