Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has directed the National Treasury to pay all county personnel salaries by the third day of each month.
During the 12th National Government and County Governments Coordinating Summit, held on Wednesday December 10 at the Statehouse in Nairobi, Deputy President Kindiki stated that the initiative aimed to safeguard workers from the recurring cycle of delayed pay.
The controller of budgets was ordered to expedite approval processes to guarantee that counties receive their funds without encountering unnecessary delays.
Kindiki also stressed that counties must pay all statutory deductions by the ninth day of every month, thereby closing loopholes that had previously led to workers being penalised.
“The county governments must subsequently make sure that all statutory deductions are paid out by the ninth day of every month,” the deputy president stated.
The government has agreed to include Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in the Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance scheme, with the costs split evenly between national and county governments at Ksh 330 per month for each CHP.
It was stated that a framework to transition CHPs to permanent and pensionable terms would be jointly developed by the Ministry of Health, the Public Service Commission, the Council of Governors, and the National Treasury.
According to the DP, the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors must establish a framework for maternity services at Level 2 and 3 facilities by January 2026.
The plan stated that the Primary Health Care Fund would cover the maternity-related expenses under the SHA regulatory framework.
Existing vendor installation contracts under the National Equipment Support Programme were also cancelled in order to facilitate new agreements with fresh suppliers.
The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee was also instructed to speed up the separation of disputed responsibilities for transfer to counties, with the Treasury responsible for confirming the relevant financial resources.
He also instructed that the sector forum’s regulations be revised to permit co-chairing by both government levels by January 2026.
The DP ordered that pending bursary agreements be concluded within 14 days, while instructing the treasury to expedite disbursements for county aggregation and industrial parks.
He stated that the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill will be sent back for additional review and consultations.
