Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has clarified that the Linda Mama program is no longer administered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), following its transition into a broader and more sustainable household health coverage model.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, Duale said the shift was necessary to resolve structural and financial challenges that had limited the effectiveness of the free maternity program.
“The Linda Mama program is not currently administered under the Social Health Authority infrastructure,” Duale said. “While the program was instrumental in expanding access to free maternal care, it faced very critical challenges that led to the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable model.”
According to the CS, the government’s decision to transition from Linda Mama to a household-based model was anchored in the four health laws recently passed by Parliament, which established SHA and introduced universal health coverage (UHC) for all households, particularly the most vulnerable.
“These challenges included frequent financing constraints, budget cuts, delayed reimbursements, and significant access and equity gaps, especially for adolescent mothers without identification,” Duale said. “The benefit package was also not comprehensive, as it excluded critical maternal and newborn services like complications and neonatal care.”
Duale emphasized that under the new structure, the government has adopted a comprehensive household coverage model to ensure equitable access to healthcare.
“The Ministry of Health, through the Social Health Authority, has adopted a very comprehensive household coverage model to ensure all vulnerable families can access a broader range of essential health services,” he said.
As part of the reform, Duale revealed that the national government, through the Ministry of Health and SHA, is sponsoring 558,000 indigent households identified by the State Department for Social Protection via the Enhanced Single Registry to access healthcare services under the new scheme.
“This strategic framework ensures that no vulnerable family is left behind,” Duale added. “We are moving from fragmented programs to a unified system that guarantees sustainable access to healthcare for all Kenyans.”
The Linda Mama program, launched in 2013 under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), was Kenya’s flagship free maternity initiative covering antenatal, delivery, postnatal, and infant care. It played a critical role in improving maternal and child health and advancing UHC.
The Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced NHIF, now serves as the key driver of the government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, aimed at streamlining funding, expanding benefits, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare nationwide.
Duale also took responsibility for earlier delays in responding to senators’ questions, pledging to comply with parliamentary procedures.
“It will never happen again,” he said. “Going forward, I’ll comply with the standing orders and provide the answers within 48 hours.”
