Civil Servants Union threatens legal action over SHA benefits, rejects PSC structure

 

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants officials, led by the Secretary General, Lawrence Nyaguti Ochieng, have threatened to take legal action against SHA  for capping health cover for civil servants to Sh2500. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants has threatened legal action against the Social Health Authority (SHA) over changes to medical insurance benefits, while also rejecting the current structure of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and demanding reforms in how civil servants are prosecuted and managed.

Speaking during a press briefing following new leadership elections, Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti said the union would no longer tolerate unilateral changes to members’ welfare schemes.

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the behaviour of SHA in changing the terms and conditions of our contract without consultation. Within the last week, SHA has limited the outpatient scheme to Sh2,500, which basically means we are not insured,” Nyaguti said.

He added,” We are warning SHA that we will take legal action if they continue acting without consultation.”

The union also welcomed engagement with the Principal Secretary for Public Service, saying discussions were ongoing to resolve the dispute.

On the structure of the Public Service Commission, Nyaguti said the current setup was unfair and excluded workers.

“Public Service Commission has no representation of employees. We therefore declare that it is illegitimate,” he said.

He argued that other commissions include worker representation, citing the Teachers Service Commission and Judicial Service Commission.

The union announced it is drafting a bill to restructure the PSC, introduce union representation, and decentralise promotion and human resource decisions.

“In the bill, we are requesting representation of unions in the commission. There is no business a civil servant should go for a promotional interview at the Public Service Commission,” Nyaguti said.

He also alleged corruption and favouritism in promotions, saying the current system has caused stagnation among civil servants.

The union further criticised what it termed harassment of public service drivers by police traffic units, saying fines were excessive and unfair.

“A driver can be charged even Sh900,000 for a mere traffic violation. We demand that operations of the police check unit be stopped within 14 days until we agree on a proper framework,” Nyaguti said.

He called for the formation of a committee to review enforcement procedures before penalties are imposed.