Community health promoters (CHPs) could be moved from stipend-based engagement to permanent and pensionable employment under a fresh push by President William Ruto’s team, as MPs seek a formal policy to bring the grassroots health workers into government.
The push has gained new momentum in Parliament, with Tharaka MP George Murugara asking the National Assembly to support a structured plan for recruiting and paying CHPs across the country. The move comes only weeks after Parliament approved billions of shillings to support the transition of thousands of universal health coverage (UHC) workers into county employment.
Murugara wants a similar arrangement developed for CHPs, arguing that the workers have become a key part of Kenya’s primary healthcare system and should no longer be treated as volunteers.
In a motion before the National Assembly, the Tharaka MP called on the national government to formulate and implement a policy framework that would guide the recruitment and remuneration of CHPs across the country.
He said the workers play a major role in connecting households to the formal health system and are central to the government’s UHC programme.
“This is a very important motion that deals with CHPs, the successors to the community health volunteers (CHVs), who served this country for a considerable period and dedicatedly,” Murugara said.
The MP said CHPs provide health education, help prevent diseases, support early detection of illnesses, assist mothers and children, and mobilise communities to seek medical attention.
According to Murugara, the duties performed by the health promoters have grown in importance, yet their current pay does not match the work they carry out at the grassroots.
His proposal comes as the government continues to set aside funds for the community health programme. In the 2026-27 budget, Sh3.2 billion was allocated for CHP stipends and medical insurance.
The wider health sector received Sh177.2 billion in the same budget, with the allocation forming part of government efforts to strengthen UHC and preventive healthcare.
The proposed policy framework would provide a formal structure for the recruitment and payment of CHPs, who work at community level and serve as an important link between families and health facilities.
Murugara’s motion therefore seeks to move the workers away from their current stipend-based arrangement and towards a more structured system under government.
The push comes shortly after Parliament backed funding for the transition of thousands of UHC workers into county employment, creating a new focus on how other workers supporting the government’s health agenda can be formally engage