NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 18 – The Kenya Union of Civil Servants has called off nationwide demonstrations scheduled for Tuesday, following government intervention to address the persistent delays in remitting health insurance funds to the State Health Agency (SHA).
In a circular issued on Monday, Secretary General Tom M. Odege confirmed the suspension of the protests, citing a commitment by the Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development to resolve the matter.
“Due to the persistence and unresolved systemic problem of SHA that had led to lack of access to health services by our members, the union was forced to call for major demonstrations on 18th March, 2025,” Odege stated.
The move follows a high-level stakeholders meeting held at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) in Kabete, where representatives from the union, government, and other key actors deliberated on the crisis that has left thousands of civil servants without access to healthcare services.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development issued a directive to all Principal Secretaries and Accounting Officers, instructing them to ensure timely remittance of State Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) deductions to SHA by the 7th of every month.
“We therefore advise our members to put on hold our intention to demonstrate tomorrow awaiting the outcome,” Odege noted.
The impasse has raised concerns over the well-being of public sector workers who have, for months, been unable to access essential medical services due to non-remittance of SHIF deductions.
The union emphasized that while the demonstrations are suspended for now, they will continue monitoring the implementation of the directive to safeguard members’ welfare.
The statement comes as public servants across the country await the full resolution of the matter, which has impacted service delivery and strained industrial relations within the public sector.
