Audio By VocalizeKenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union National Secretary General Brown Ashira, during an interview on August 4, 2026. …
… Subscribe to our newsletterPublic Health Union Secretary General Brown Ashira blamed governors for what he termed the failure to manage the country's health workforce."We are now calling for the management of healthcare workers to revert to the national government; we cannot cont …
… Subscribe to our newsletterAli added that many health workers continue to work under confusion and uncertainty without medical cover for themselves and their dependants, saying the situation had become untenable.Public Health Officers Union Secretary General Brown Ashira urged th …
… Speaking after a visit to Lugulu Girls National High School, KEHPHPU Secretary-General and CEO Brown Ashira noted that the ministry has been evaluating health standards in various institutions without involving trained health experts.He urged Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Mi …
… In a statement issued on Saturday, Brown Ashira, KEHPHPU National Secretary General described the incident as a dark and heartbreaking moment for the nation. …
… s under the Public Health Act (Cap 242) and the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act (Cap 254). “By law, training, and professional practice, this portfolio must be strictly managed by a qualified and licensed Public Health Officer,” said KEHPHPU Secretary General Brown Ashira …
… He was reportedly ambushed at his gate, and neighbours later found his body lying in a pool of blood while his vehicle engine was still running.Speaking on behalf of the union, National Secretary General and CEO Brown Ashira described the incident as a major blow to the public he …
… Speaking at the first National Public Health Leadership Summit in Naivasha, Brown Ashira, the union Secretary-General, blamed the Ministry of Health for the crisis, noting that no recruitment of public health officers had been carried out in over 15 years.Ashira warned that the M …
Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) has called for the health function to be returned to the national government, blaming county governments for repeatedly failing to implement Collective Bargaining Agreements and citing this as a driver of recurring health workers' strikes. The union argues the devolved health system is not working and needs to be reviewed, citing unresolved labour issues including the situation of Universal Health Coverage workers who have remained on contract for more than six years.
Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) has called for the health function to be returned to the national government, blaming county governments for repeatedly failing to implement Collective Bargaining Agreements and citing this as a driver of recurring health workers' strikes. The union argues the devolved health system is not working and needs to be reviewed, citing unresolved labour issues including the situation of Universal Health Coverage workers who have remained on contract for more than six years.
Medical practitioners across Kenya began a nationwide strike at midnight on July 20, 2026, after months of failed negotiations over the government's failure to absorb Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff into permanent and pensionable terms. The strike is expected to cripple healthcare delivery in all 47 counties.
Health unions have threatened a nationwide strike starting Monday if the Council of Governors does not confirm Universal Health Coverage staff to permanent and pensionable employment. Parliament has allocated funds for the transition, but county governments have delayed the process, leaving thousands of health workers uncertain about their jobs and benefits.
Five health workers' unions have issued Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa a three-day ultimatum to resolve a dispute over a Recognition Agreement, threatening to withdraw services after a scheduled signing ceremony on Tuesday was derailed when the County Attorney and her legal team failed to attend.
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union has raised concerns that the Ministry of Education is conducting inspection tours of boarding schools without involving trained health experts to assess health standards and safety risks, urging the Education Cabinet Secretary to include public health officers in the exercise.
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union has called for the immediate deployment of public health officers to all schools following a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School in Gilgil that killed 16 students and hospitalised 74 others.
Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners' Union has accused Nairobi City County of unlawfully deploying unqualified personnel to manage the Food Hygiene and Medical Certification Unit, saying the move has compromised food safety and exposed residents to public health risks. The union specifically faulted the appointment of a Medical Laboratory Technologist to head the Medical Certification Unit, arguing the position is legally reserved for qualified and licensed Public Health Officers.
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) has condemned the killing of Pascal Wakafura, a 38-year-old senior Public Health Officer in Bungoma County, who was ambushed at his home on the evening of Monday, May 11, 2026. The union has called for justice and enhanced security for civil servants, describing the incident as an attack on the entire public health workforce.
The Social Health Authority owes health facilities some Sh77 billion as of last year and continues to accumulate debt, according to Brian Lishenga, Chairman of the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association. The official attributed the challenges to insufficient resource pooling into SHA to settle medical claims, while union leaders condemned the government for promoting SHA registration without addressing system failures affecting healthcare delivery.
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union warned that the country's public health sector could collapse due to staff shortages, noting that no public health officers have been recruited in over 15 years and government resources have favoured curative services over public health.