Universal Health Coverage Stories

Cancer patients stage protest outside SHA headquarters, demand better medical coverage
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Oct 07, 2025

SHA currently provides Sh400,000 per person per year for cancer treatment, covering Sh100,000 for diagnostic tests such as PET and PSMA scans and Sh30...

Growing health crisis among Kenya’s elderly: Costs, care and insurance coverage
Charity Kilei  |  Oct 04, 2025

Kenya’s ageing population faces growing risks from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, as reported in the 202...

MoH, faith-based organisations agree on six-point plan for UHC
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Oct 01, 2025

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale highlighted the importance of collaboration with faith-based organisations, emphasising their critical role in rea...

Ruto urges nations to take charge of health systems as donor funding declines
Lucy Mumbi  |  Sep 24, 2025

Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto said the withdrawal of donor funds had revealed systemic vulne...

SHA partners with healthcare providers to boost universal coverage, tackle fraud in Kenya
Lucy Mumbi  |  Sep 23, 2025

The move comes amid rising concerns over healthcare fraud and persistent financing gaps that continue to limit access to services.

From grief to action: How widow is changing Kenya’s battle against NCDs
Zainab Saidi  |  Sep 13, 2025

As Kenya prepares to roll out front-of-pack labelling within the next year, stories like Esther Apondi’s remind us that behind every statistic is a fa...

UHC staff crisis: Health workers threaten nationwide strike over permanent jobs
Charity Kilei  |  Sep 08, 2025

In a joint statement released on September 8, the unions stressed that the smooth integration of UHC contract staff into permanent county roles is lon...

Governors reject President Ruto’s order to absorb 7,400 UHC workers
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Sep 06, 2025

The county chiefs said they will not comply unless the national treasury provides at least Sh7.7 billion to meet the cost of converting the contracts...

UHC row escalates as governors accuse Ministry of Health of undermining devolution
Lucy Mumbi  |  Sep 01, 2025

The mandatory rollout of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system also came under fire, with governors describing it as rushed, inconsisten...

Governors to hold emergency meeting over UHC staff and e-Procurement standoff
Lucy Mumbi  |  Sep 01, 2025

The county bosses argue that directives from the Health ministry and Treasury are unilateral, financially unsustainable and disruptive to service deli...

Counties push for Sh7.8 billion funding to permanently absorb 8,000 UHC workers
Lucy Mumbi  |  Aug 31, 2025

Council of Governors Health Committee Chairperson Muthomi Njuki said the funding is essential for counties to manage the new workforce without straini...

UHC staff turn heat on CoG Chair Muthomi Njuki, demand impeachment
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Aug 27, 2025

In a strongly worded response, the UHC workers described Njuki’s comments as “reckless and insensitive”, accusing the Tharaka Nithi County governor of...

CoG raises concerns over UHC staff integration into county payrolls
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 26, 2025

The chair of CoG’s Health Committee in a statement on Tuesday said the Ministry’s approach conflicts with earlier agreements made between national and...

Kenya records landmark milestones in fight against HIV, malaria, TB and sleeping sickness
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Aug 19, 2025

More than 1.36 million people living with HIV in Kenya are now on lifesaving treatment, covering 98 per cent of those diagnosed, while mother-to-child...

Kenya to receive Sh10 billion for maternal and newborn care
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 19, 2025

The support will strengthen the country’s reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health programme and enhance access to life-saving ca...

No gratuity for contract UHC workers transitioning to permanent terms, PS Oluga declares
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Aug 06, 2025

The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Ouma Oluga said the transition constitutes continued service rather than termination, which is the le...

How misconceptions are undermining breastfeeding efforts in Kenya
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 22, 2025

Experts have called for increased education and awareness about the many benefits of breastfeeding - not only for the child and mother but also for th...

Health CS Duale cracks down on hospital overcrowding, demands accurate bed capacity data
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 15, 2025

Duale also emphasised that any facility intending to admit more patients must first expand its physical infrastructure—such as beds and space—to accom...

Governors seek Sh7.8 billion annual funding to absorb 8,287 UHC staff into county payrolls
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Jul 11, 2025

The Ministry of Health announced in May that all UHC staff would officially be transferred to county governments by July 1, 2025.

Ministry of Health cracks down on bed sharing in public hospitals, labels it fraud
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Jul 08, 2025

Health CS Aden Duale warned that hospitals admitting patients beyond their licensed bed capacity will be held accountable. He stated that any claims i...

Kenya goes digital in healthcare to fight fraud, counterfeit drugs
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 19, 2025

Duale said this move is part of ongoing reforms aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the health sector.

Health budget falling short of Abuja Declaration and impact, UHC Healthcare
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 14, 2025

Community health promoters (CHPs) have also been dealt a major blow after their budget was slashed by Sh1.4 billion.

Garissa health facilities receive over 1,000 tablets in digital health push
Issa Hussein  |  Jun 13, 2025

Duale expressed concern about the low SHA registration in Garissa County, where he said only 150,000 residents registered against the targeted number...

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.

Major blow for community health promoters as budget slashed by Sh1.4 billion
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 12, 2025

In the last financial year, CHPs were already grappling with financial constraints, which remain a key challenge in Kenya’s public healthcare system.

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...

Ministry of Health, governors agree to joint audit of UHC staff
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 12, 2025

Until current contracts end and gratuities are fully paid, the Health Ministry will continue managing the payroll for UHC workers, easing recent tensi...

3,000 ghost workers exposed in UHC payroll scandal amid ongoing strike
Eastleigh Voice Reporter  |  Jun 03, 2025

Investigations show that these non-existent workers have been receiving monthly salaries of Sh50,000 each, costing taxpayers more than Sh1.5 million e...

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