State directs free maternity services at level 2 and 3 facilities under Primary Health Care Fund by January
The National Treasury has been directed to disburse all personnel emolument costs to county governments by the third day of every month.
The Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors have been directed to develop a framework by the second week of January 2026 to provide maternity services at level two and three health facilities, with all charges covered under the Primary Health Care Fund (PHCF).
The framework, issued during the 12th National and County Governments Coordinating Summit held on Wednesday at State House, aims to ensure that maternity services are accessible and affordable, while strengthening coordination between the national and county health systems to deliver quality care to expectant mothers.
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“The Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors shall, by the second week of January, develop a framework for the provision of maternity services at level two and three health facilities. In the immediate and subsequently, the associated charges shall be charged on the Primary Health Care Fund under the SHA legal infrastructure,” the communique signed by President William Ruto and Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi reads.
Other resolutions include a review by the Ministry of Health of the Persons with Disability Act, 2025, to harmonise exemptions on medical service payments with the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
The Ministry was also instructed to cancel existing zero-installation vendor contracts under the National Equipment Support Programme (NESP) to allow new vendors to supply and install equipment at public health facilities.
Additionally, the National Treasury has been directed to disburse all personnel emolument costs to county governments by the third day of every month, with the Controller of Budget expediting approvals. County governments will ensure statutory deductions are paid by the ninth day of each month.
The government’s move is part of broader interventions to reduce maternal and newborn deaths and advance Universal Health Coverage.
Last Month, Health CS Aden Duale had highlighted key initiatives, including the launch of a national Reproductive-Age Mortality Survey (RAMOS) to determine causes of deaths among women of reproductive age, digitization and consistent use of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system, and enforcement of higher clinical standards in triage, referral, oxygen and blood availability, 24-hour theatre readiness, neonatal resuscitation, respectful maternity care and consultant support.
“These measures align resources and skills with real-time data to make our interventions timely, targeted, and life-saving,” Duale said, during the 4th Graduation Ceremony of the Training Institute of Specialised Nursing at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).
He urged all health facilities to maintain functional theatres, conduct regular emergency drills, and integrate respectful maternity care as a professional standard.
“Safety must be a system property, not a slogan,” he said.
The CS added that the new interventions complement ongoing reforms under the Fifth Administration’s UHC agenda, which focus on healthcare financing, local manufacturing and commodity security, digitisation of health systems, and development of a fit-for-purpose health workforce.
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