Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has launched a scathing attack on health union leaders, accusing them of orchestrating "fake protests" using hired demonstrators to manufacture a crisis at the Ministry of Health.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s The Explainer on Tuesday night, a combative Duale dismissed the legitimacy of recent picketing outside Afya House. He alleged that the crowds chanting anti-government slogans were not genuine healthcare workers, but paid agitators mobilized by individuals seeking to derail the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, now branded as ‘Taifa Care’.

The "Hired Goons" Allegation

“One thing I have seen at Afya House is that a majority of the people who come to demonstrate nowadays are not healthcare workers,” Duale asserted, stopping short of naming the specific leaders he believes are responsible. “Some leaders are turning a very noble healthcare workforce... into a tool for their own games.”

The CS claimed that his intelligence on the ground confirmed the presence of infiltrators. “Some are not genuine, and I can say that without any fear of contradiction,” he noted. His remarks come at a volatile moment, just days after the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) issued a 21-day strike notice, threatening to down tools on December 23—a move that could paralyze hospitals during the Christmas festivities.

A Sector "Stabilised"?

Despite the looming industrial action, Duale projected an image of calm, insisting that the turbulence that defined the early days of the Social Health Authority (SHA) transition has subsided. He argued that his tenure has seen the resolution of historical injustices that previously plagued the sector.

“Since I came in, healthcare workers will confirm—ask the doctors' union, ask the UHC staff—the whole sector has now stabilised,” Duale said. He listed his key wins since taking the docket in March:

• Intern Posting: Clearing the backlog of medical interns, a major flashpoint in 2024.
• Salary Harmonization: Ensuring UHC staff and clinicians are paid according to Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) rates.
• SHA Rollout: Biometric registration of over 25 million Kenyans under the new health scheme.

“Without healthcare workers, UHC, Taifa Care, and the Universal Health Care Act will not be achieved. But they should not use healthcare workers as a bogeyman,” he warned.

The Union Pushback

Duale’s narrative of stability stands in sharp contrast to the reality on the ground described by union officials. KUCO has cited the government's failure to honor the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and delays in medical cover payments as the primary triggers for their upcoming strike.

Critics argue that dismissing legitimate grievances as "fake" risks hardening the unions' resolve. If the December 23 strike proceeds, millions of Kenyans relying on the newly implemented SHA system could find themselves stranded without care during the holiday season.

For Duale, the stakes are personal. Having been reshuffled from Defence to Environment and now Health, he is under immense pressure to prove that ‘Taifa Care’ can deliver where the NHIF failed. “There are people who want to earn their living by using the healthcare workers... I will not allow that,” he declared.