The Siaya County Assembly has opened an inquiry into claims that hundreds of health workers were unfairly dismissed and denied pay, a row that has unsettled an already fragile public health system.
A petition tabled on Monday alleges that 259 health workers were recruited by the County Public Service Board in January, deployed to hospitals and clinics, and worked for eight months without receiving salaries. They say they were abruptly struck off the payroll on 11 September, branded as “ghost workers,” and accused of holding “fake employment documents.”
Out of 502 recruits, only 120 were retained. The rest — 382 in total — were dismissed.
Workers Cry Foul
In their petition, signed by representatives Brian Ochieng’, Felix Omondi and Emily Anyango, the dismissed workers argue they were properly vetted. They claim they underwent two separate verification exercises earlier in the year, both conducted by the county government, and were confirmed as legitimate employees.
They now accuse county authorities of violating their constitutional rights to equality, dignity, fair labour practices, and administrative justice. They are demanding reinstatement, payment of salaries and allowances for the eight months worked, or at the very least a lawful explanation for their dismissal.
“We were duly recruited and served in our stations. To be dismissed as frauds without pay is not just unfair — it is unconstitutional,” one petitioner said in the assembly corridors after the petition was lodged.
Assembly Steps In
Speaker George Okode acknowledged the gravity of the claims, describing the matter as one of “immense public interest.” He committed the case to the Assembly’s General Oversight Committee, which will now investigate the circumstances of the recruitment, deployment, verification and dismissal.
The committee has been directed to establish the authenticity of key documents — including appointment letters, deployment notices and arrival reports. Petitioners will be invited, within seven days, to present their papers for scrutiny. County officials will also be required to testify.
Okode said the assembly must strike a careful balance. “While the petitioners allege unfair dismissal, the county executive insists they entered service fraudulently. Our duty is to protect rights where they have been infringed, and also protect the public interest where fraud may have occurred,” he told members on Tuesday.
The committee is expected to table its findings within 30 days. In the meantime, the county executive has been advised to suspend any further action against the workers.
Worries for Health Services
The petition has sent ripples through Siaya’s health sector. Stakeholders fear that the sudden loss of more than 380 workers could paralyse services in rural hospitals and dispensaries already short of staff.
“This comes at a time when health facilities are struggling to cope with rising patient numbers. Losing such a large workforce in one sweep is alarming,” a local health union official said.
Analysts say the case could become a defining test of accountability for county governments, raising questions about recruitment practices, payroll management, and oversight in Kenya’s devolved health sector.
For Siaya residents, however, the concern is more immediate: whether hospitals and clinics will continue to run as the wrangle plays out in the county assembly.
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