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Currently, only six national teaching and referral hospitals serve the country’s population of over 55 million, creating unequal access to quality healthcare. Lawmakers stressed the urgent need for more hospitals in every region to reduce the physical and financial burden on patients.
The Ministry noted several key factors that facilitate the spread of infections, including close contact in crowded spaces such as parties, religious gatherings, and busy markets, as well as poor ventilation in indoor venues.
With only two days left in the 21-day strike notice issued on December 2 to the national and county governments, Wachira said the union had given extra time beyond the legal requirement to avoid industrial action.
Chairperson Abdi Mohamed said the appointments will be instrumental in optimising the benefits administration and accelerating the processing of claims, reinforcing the Authority’s commitment to transparency and financial protection for all Kenyans.
KMPDU highlighted the challenges of Kenya’s public health system, including heavy patient loads, long working hours, emergency responsibilities, and overlapping duty periods. The union defended dual practice as a necessary coping mechanism due to limited staffing, delayed salaries, intense workloads, and insufficient incentives for doctors to focus solely on public service.
The union says the policy, which would block claims approved by doctors between 8 pm and 5 pm does not reflect the realities of public hospitals and could disrupt service delivery.
Consultant psychologist John Wills Njoroge says 3.5 million Kenyan men have faced sexual abuse, yet few report it, highlighting stigma, under‑reporting and long‑term trauma despite growing legal and support mechanisms.
The Board further warned that supermarkets, cosmetic shops, household goods stores, online sellers and other general retail outlets are not allowed to stock or sell prescription-only medicines. It said any outlet found engaging in this practice would face enforcement action for breaching existing laws.
Dr. Atellah said the Governor agreed to promote all consultants who were due to move from Job Group M to Q, with the promotions scheduled to take effect by December 17, 2025. He confirmed that by December 16, 2025, promotion letters for most of the affected doctors had already been prepared and were available for collection at Garissa Level 5 Hospital.
Duale said some doctors employed in public facilities are deliberately redirecting patients to private hospitals where they also practice, while neglecting their duties in government institutions that pay their salaries.
The persistence of HIV/AIDS in the region is linked to long-standing social and economic challenges. High levels of poverty, entrenched gender inequality, and the ongoing sex-for-fish trade along Lake Victoria place many women and girls at risk of infection. Limited healthcare access and unequal household and community power structures further drive the spread of the disease, keeping infection rates high across multiple sub-counties.
The child-friendly approach helps reduce fear and anxiety, improves cooperation during medical care, and supports faster emotional recovery.
Registration and Compliance at the county coordination level will be handled by Geoffrey Mwangi Thiaka and Anab Sharrif Mohamed, while Minnie Wanja Gitau and Faith Sitoi Tonkei will take charge of the broader Registration and Compliance designation.
The CS noted that only general data may be shared and that personal details remain protected under Kenyan law. Duale said the pact is rooted in the country’s own regulations.
Speaking in an interview on Radio Generation on Friday, KUCO Secretary General George Gibore said the standoff is not about unwilling workers but about a government that has consistently gone back on its word.
Under the new framework, FDA authorisation will be sufficient for products to gain clearance in Kenya, though “subject to verification of product sameness and the applicable review processes of the PPB and other applicable regulatory bodies.”
Cervical cancer remains a major health threat in Kenya, ranking as the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. According to GLOBOCAN 2020–2022 data, the country records about 5,200–5,800 new cases and 3,200–3,600 deaths annually, with an age-standardized incidence rate of over 30 cases per 100,000 women.
The summit also agreed on several other changes meant to strengthen the health sector. The Ministry of Health will review the Persons with Disability Act, 2025, to ensure its exemption provisions match those in the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
The funding will help WHO accelerate research and development of new antibiotics, antifungals, and innovative therapies such as bacteriophages.
Figures presented to the Treasury indicate that the average wait for radiotherapy at KNH rose to 37 days, up from 18 days the previous year, far above the target of 17 days. The State Department for Medical Services said the jump was caused by constant equipment failures and growing demand for treatment.
KUCO Secretary-General George Gibore said all key state offices had already cleared the agreement except the Health Ministry, adding that clinicians will not continue working without a signed deal.
While welcoming the proposed increase in health sector funding to Sh138.1 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year, up from Sh127 billion last year, KNCHR cautioned that higher allocations alone will not fix the structural challenges affecting access to quality care.
According to the WHO World Malaria Report, the nation recorded 4,186,000 malaria cases last year, up from 3,294,000 in 2024. This represents 892,000 additional infections, a jump of 27 per cent.
Health CS Aden Duale warns in Nairobi that Africa’s fast-growing transport corridors are driving new health risks, urging stronger surveillance, innovation and partnerships to protect communities and regional economies.
The UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 shows that despite steady improvements since 2000, momentum is fading, especially for the world’s poorest communities, who continue to face the highest costs and the greatest barriers.
Sh2.9 billion ($22.5 million) has been earmarked specifically for disease surveillance and outbreak response, to be gradually rolled out from 2026 through 2030.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Kenya is the first of 50 countries expected to sign similar bilateral agreements, highlighting Washington’s renewed focus on global health cooperation.
Under the agreement signed on Thursday, the U.S. will provide USD 1.6 billion (Sh208 billion) over the next five years to support Kenya’s health systems, emergency preparedness, disease monitoring, and the transition to programmes fully owned by the country.
According to an executive brief on the agreement, the U.S. Government—Kenya’s largest bilateral health partner with cumulative investments of USD 70 billion—has historically supported the country in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria control, laboratory capacity, outbreak surveillance and development of frontline health workers.
WHO’s latest World Malaria Report shows new vaccines and nets averted 170 million cases in 2024, yet 610,000 people died as drug resistance, insecticide failure and funding gaps threaten progress.