Thousands of community health promoters (CHPs) could soon have a significant pay rise of up to 150 per cent under a new proposal.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The proposal, backed by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, seeks to increase the CHPS monthly salaries to a minimum wage recognised by the Constitution, up to Ksh 18,000, from their current salary of Ksh 5,000.

Speaking during a public forum on June 13, Cherargei argued that the current Ksh5,000 stipend paid to the community health promoters was insufficient.

According to the senator, given the critical role the health promoters play in delivering primary healthcare services across the country, it was time their stipend was revised.

📌 What You Need to Know

"We have the CHPs. We pay them Ksh5,000. But we want them to be paid minimum wage of Ksh 18,000 because under this economy, 5,000 cannot help anyone," Cherargei stated.

According to the senator, community health promoters perform essential duties at the grassroots level, including monitoring patients, conducting routine health checks and supporting families in accessing healthcare services.

"These community health promoters come to our homes. They check blood pressure, they check sugar levels and provide medicines. We want to create better primary healthcare so that our people can get better healthcare," he added.

The remarks come amid efforts by the government to strengthen healthcare services through community-based interventions, with CHPs playing a major role in connecting households to health facilities.

If adopted, the proposal would mark a major boost for thousands of community health promoters across the country, many of whom have long called for improved remuneration and recognition of their work.

At the same time, the Nandi senator supported recent budget allocations aimed at strengthening the health sector, which included funding for the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke