PRESS STATEMENT
Date: December 11, 2025
The Community Health Units for Universal Health Coverage (CHU4UHC) welcomes with great enthusiasm the landmark decision to pay Social Health Insurance (SHA) for all Community Health Promoters and plans to employ the 107,000 CHPs on permanent and pensionable terms. The decisions made at the 12th Ordinary Session of the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit held on December 10, 2025, could not have come at a better time.
The Summit, which brings together the Executive Office of the President and all the 47 County Governors from across the country, directed the Ministry of Health, Public Service Commission, Council of Governors, and National Treasury to develop a framework for transitioning the 107,000 CHWs to permanent and pensionable employment status, recognizing the critical role these frontline health workers play in advancing care to every home and advancing Universal Health Coverage.
Healthcare workers, including CHPs, should not be excluded from the care they provide. The decision to pay for health insurance (SHA) between the County and the national government is a powerful statement that underscores that CHPs deserve care as they protect the health of others. Further, transitioning these roles into full-time employment will ensure job security and dignified work for CHPs who have served their communities, often under challenging circumstances.
These resolutions build on notable achievements in Kenya’s community health journey. The launch of the Afya Nyumbani program by His Excellency the President in September 2023 saw a nationwide deployment of CHPs that are today reaching millions of households, the distribution of over 100,000 CHP kits, the rollout of payment of CHP stipends, and the adoption of the digital tool e-CHIS.
These decisions are consistent with what we have championed as CHU4UHC, calling for the professionalization of CHPs, who are the backbone of our health system. While celebrating these remarkable milestones, we call upon the responsible institutions to act with urgency in developing the framework for implementation. Such a framework must ensure that barriers are not erected in the way of the CHPs that have been providing care to their communities, particularly women and less literate people from disadvantaged communities.
CHU4UHC reaffirms its commitment to continue working collaboratively with the Ministry of Health and stakeholders to advance community health and improve health outcomes for all Kenyans.
Community Health Units for Universal Health Coverage (CHU4UHC) is a collaborative partnership of community health organizations in Kenya, working closely with the Division of Community Health at the Ministry of Health. The platform members include Amref Health Africa, Lwala Community Alliance, UNICEF, Living Goods, Financing Alliance for Health, VillageReach, Medic, Enai Africa, and 27 other organizations across Kenya.
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