The government has struck 215 ghost workers and unqualified staff from the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) payroll, following an extensive verification exercise that also cleared more than 7,400 employees for absorption into formal service.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the purge on Monday, August 25, confirming that the salaries of those found to be fake employees, absent without cause, or lacking professional qualifications had been stopped with immediate effect.
“Their salaries have been stopped and they have been removed from the payroll pending further investigations to prosecute, determine, and recover the irregular payments,” Duale stated.
The headcount exercise, jointly undertaken by the Ministry of Health, the State Department for Medical Services, and the Council of Governors, scrutinized 7,629 UHC staff across the country. Out of this total, 7,414 were cleared for absorption, with the majority expected to be transitioned into government service by September 2025.
Staff found to be diligently serving will be formally absorbed, while those with disciplinary cases or repeated absenteeism will have their situations reviewed in line with Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations. Disciplinary action could include separation from service or other sanctions.
“This process underscores the government’s unwavering commitment to reforms in the health sector, efficient management of public resources, and realization of the pledge to achieve Universal Health Coverage for all Kenyans,” Duale emphasized, adding that the exercise was guided by fairness, accountability, and transparency.
Ghost workers have long drained Kenya’s public resources. A 2020 probe revealed that thousands of phantom UHC employees were drawing monthly salaries, costing taxpayers billions of shillings. Civil society actors warn that without sustained audits, the problem could easily resurface.
“Kenya loses billions to ghost workers every year. The UHC clean-up is commendable, but this cannot be a one-time exercise. Continuous verification is the only way to protect public resources,” said David Omondi of the Kenya Health Accountability Network.
For frontline medics, the announcement is a welcome relief. Dr. Caroline Mwende, a clinical officer in Makueni, noted that ghost workers had long been a burden on hospitals already struggling with shortages.
“Hospitals are overwhelmed by staff shortages, yet resources are wasted on people who don’t exist. This is a win for both health workers and patients,” she said.
The payroll clean-up coincides with broader reforms, including the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which seeks to expand access to affordable healthcare. The government has also pledged to tighten oversight in health financing after reports of “ghost hospitals” receiving funds under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The problem of ghost workers is not unique to Kenya. Similar audits in Tanzania and Nigeria uncovered tens of thousands of non-existent employees on public payrolls, while the World Bank has been supporting countries like Togo to strengthen wage bill control and public service accountability.
