healthcare devolution Stories

Relief for patients as Kwale doctors return to work after striking deal with county government
Farhiya Hussein  |  Jul 09, 2025

The industrial action, which began on June 29, had crippled key health services across public facilities, leaving patients stranded and prompting wide...

Casual workers at Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital protest over unpaid wages, poor working conditions
Abdirahman Khalif  |  Jul 08, 2025

Many of the protesting workers are mothers, some of them widowed, while others have been left to fend for their families after being divorced.

Lamu residents to benefit as county opens eye unit, upgrades referral hospital
Farhiya Hussein  |  Jul 08, 2025

The Mokowe eye unit, the first in the county, was officially opened this week to provide consultations, treatment of eye conditions, surgical procedur...

Kenya Medical Association condemns obstruction of healthcare workers during protests, calls for action
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 07, 2025

KMA Secretary General Dr Diana Marion expressed concern over what the association describes as a disturbing trend of interference with healthcare serv...

How far is your closest hospital or clinic? Public health researchers explain why Africa needs up-to-date health facility databases
The Conversation  |  Jul 04, 2025

The ideal method of compiling this list is to conduct a census, as Kenya did in 2023. But this takes resources. Some countries have compiled lists fro...

World Bank: Africa remains biggest development challenge despite 25 years of progress
Alfred Onyango  |  Jun 24, 2025

The World Bank adds that in the early 2000s, Africa enjoyed strong economic growth driven by high commodity prices and a surge in foreign capital infl...

New Bill proposes Sh50 million for health providers over neglect and unsafe facility conditions
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 16, 2025

If enacted, the Bill will require all health facilities to provide only the services they are licensed and qualified to offer. Those found operating b...

Primary healthcare gets major boost as Treasury triples funding to Sh13.1 billion
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 12, 2025

This increase marks a threefold allocation to the fund, which has historically been severely underfunded.

Kenya boosts medical interns' support with Sh4.3bn allocation in 2025/26 health budget
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 12, 2025

The total health budget has increased to Sh138 billion for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, up from Sh123 billion—a reversal of three consecutive years of b...

Expired drugs pile up in county hospitals as patients go without medicine
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 08, 2025

The Health CS attributed the situation to budget constraints, logistical challenges, and poor prioritisation of pharmaceutical waste management at the...

Working through pain: The overlooked health crisis among Kenya’s informal labourers
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 07, 2025

In a world where survival depends on showing up, even blood and pain don’t qualify as reasons not to report to work.

Lobby group Okoa Uchumi warns 2025 budget will raise costs, deepen inequality in Kenya
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 04, 2025

Okoa Uchumi says several proposals in the Finance Bill 2025 place an unfair burden on ordinary citizens while protecting elite interests, risking grea...

Government launches flexible health insurance payment plan to boost access for informal sector
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 01, 2025

Known as Lipa SHA Pole Pole or Lipa SHA Mos Mos, the system allows Kenyan households, especially those in the informal sector, to pay their annual hea...

Behind the white coats: Kenyan healthcare workers battle burnout, grief and neglect
Charity Kilei  |  May 25, 2025

Key factors causing mental health challenges for healthcare workers include heavy workloads, limited resources, tough working conditions, delayed pay...

Death of unpaid health worker exposes crisis among UHC staff
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 22, 2025

The unions under the Health Sector Caucus, said at least 97 Global Fund staff, mostly clinical and laboratory officers, have gone nearly a year withou...

Over 900 healthcare workers killed across 36 countries in 2024 - report
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 20, 2025

More than 3,600 attacks were recorded against health workers and medical facilities in conflict zones, marking the highest number ever reported by the...

Health facilities to register online as KMPDC unveils new digital system
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 20, 2025

The system allows applicants to submit all required details electronically, including the facility name, location, classification, services offered, s...

Amnesty raises concern over “crackdown” on health workers in Ethiopia
Addis Standard  |  May 15, 2025

Amnesty also said it had received “an alert from the healthcare professionals’ association” indicating that its president, Yonatan Dagnaw, “was arrest...

Healthcare burden: Kiambu hospitals serve over five million patients, twice the county’s population
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 12, 2025

Of those admitted, 44,459 were in public facilities, despite Kiambu’s total bed capacity of only about 1,600.

Ministry of Health wants Treasury to deduct health workers’ dues directly to fix access delays
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 11, 2025

The move follows outrage from doctors who say they are unable to access services despite monthly deductions.

Gaza’s lifeline under fire as over 1,400 health workers killed in targeted attacks
Rachael Mutabasi  |  May 10, 2025

Many hospital departments have been destroyed, and patients, including critically ill children, have been left without shelter and forced onto the str...

Is Kenya ready for next health crisis? Unpaid workers, weak systems raise alarms after Covid
Charity Kilei  |  May 10, 2025

Without adequate investment in human resources and infrastructure, Kenya may struggle to respond effectively to future health emergencies, thereby com...

Kenya’s health budget to rise by Sh14bn as govt boosts access and infrastructure
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 09, 2025

This marks a 13.5 per cent increase from the Sh107.52 billion allocated in the 2023/24 financial year.

Explainer: Who are the striking UHC workers, and why are they protesting?
Charity Kilei  |  May 08, 2025

Though hired on contractual terms, they were assured that their positions would be converted to permanent and pensionable roles after a set period.

UHC medics reject Health CS Duale’s directive on payroll transfer to counties, demand permanent terms
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 07, 2025

The medics said they would not accept being moved to the counties under what they termed “stipend arrangements.”

Kenya among 10 African countries to share Sh64.67 billion health fund to save lives of mothers, babies
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 05, 2025

The fund aims to save the lives of 300,000 mothers and newborns and enhance the quality of care for 34 million mothers and babies by the year 2030.

MPs, state officials could be forced to use public hospitals under proposed healthcare reforms
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 01, 2025

The policy would also ensure that top officials no longer enjoy medical privileges at the taxpayer’s expense, a move that could save the government mi...

Why patients' voices must be at the forefront of driving Kenya's healthcare reforms
Charity Kilei  |  May 01, 2025

KNH has established both verbal and non-verbal communication channels, including social media platforms, to encourage patients and their families to p...

Strained, stalled and sinking: The harsh reality at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Apr 30, 2025

Available documents show that roughly a third of the Sh300-Sh400 million allocated to the hospital’s projects has been released, yet details of the co...

Healthcare takes lion’s share in Mombasa’s Sh14.6 billion budget for 2025/2026
Farhiya Hussein  |  Apr 29, 2025

Part of the funds will go towards the construction of Kongowea Level 4 Hospital, the refurbishment of Likoni Sub-County Hospital.

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