NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 10 – Community Health Promoters (CHPs) across Kenya are set for a major breakthrough after the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit announced plans to place them on permanent and pensionable terms.
This marks the biggest employment reform for CHPs since they were formalized in 2023, ending decades of volunteer work and short-term stipends.
The Ministry of Health, the Public Service Commission, the Council of Governors, and the National Treasury will now develop a clear framework to guide the transition.
The decision was reached during the 12th National and County Governments Coordinating Summit held at State House, Nairobi.
“The move recognizes the essential role CHPs play in keeping communities healthy from monitoring pregnancies to supporting immunization, treating minor illnesses, and linking households to health facilities,” President William Ruto who chaired the summit said.
For years, CHPs worked as volunteers with little or no pay. Although the government began paying stipends and providing digital kits and insurance from 2023, many still lacked job security.
The Summit also reaffirmed that all CHP stipends must be paid on time and that the workers will continue to be covered under the Social Health Authority’s insurance scheme.
Both levels of government will co-finance the insurance at Sh330 each per CHP.