Nakuru County confirms 300 contracted health workers to permanent employment

More than 300 healthcare workers in Nakuru County have been transitioned from contract employment to permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms, aimed at improving job security and strengthening the county's health workforce.

The workers, drawn from different healthcare cadres including nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technologists, public health officers, nutritionists, pharmacists and support staff, received their appointment letters during an event presided over by Governor Susan Kihika on July 1 after waiting since 2018.

Speaking during the event, Kihika said the latest conversion is part of the county's efforts to progressively absorb healthcare workers who have served on contract for years.

“We have continued to move our healthcare workers from contract to permanent and pensionable terms because contracts are meant to be temporary. They should not become a long-term way of employment,” she said.

Kihika said the county had previously confirmed an earlier cohort of healthcare workers, bringing the number to 444 staff, and would continue processing those still serving under contract as resources become available.

She said nearly 40 per cent of the county's budget is allocated to the health sector, reflecting the growing demand for healthcare services.

"Our healthcare facilities serve not only residents of Nakuru but also patients from neighbouring counties. That is why we must continue investing in our workforce," she said.

The governor also acknowledged staffing shortages in some health facilities, saying some dispensaries continue to operate with only one nurse.

She said the county's priority during the current financial year would be to recruit additional healthcare workers to reduce staff shortages and ensure that no health facility is left with only one healthcare provider.

"My biggest focus this financial year is employing more healthcare workers so that nobody is working alone in a facility," she said.

Kihika further said the county was reviewing staff deployment to explore whether healthcare workers could be posted closer to where they live, where operationally possible, to reduce long commutes.

The transition to permanent and pensionable terms is expected to improve job security and employment benefits for the affected healthcare workers while reducing reliance on long-term contract employment in the county health sector.

This confirmation comes after several strikes have been held by the staffers over the years, demanding better job terms and benefits.

Rose Masta, Chairperson of the National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) Nakuru Chapter, welcomed the transition of the healthcare workers to permanent and pensionable terms but noted that more still needs to be done, saying nurses make up nearly 70 percent of the county's health workforce.

Masita said despite the confirmations, Nakuru County continues to grapple with a severe nursing shortage, largely due to retirements over the years.

“Nearly all the nurses who were on permanent and pensionable terms have retired. While these confirmations are welcome, we still have an acute shortage of nurses, and there is a lot more that needs to be done,” she said.

In the financial years between 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years, the county recruited 2,420 staff, promoted 3,078, confirmed 1,243, redesignated 112, and converted 638 employees to PnP terms.