The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has raised alarm over persistent gaps in the country’s healthcare system, warning that delayed payments, poor infrastructure, and digital inequalities are depriving Kenyans of their right to the highest attainable standard of health.
In an assessment issued on Tuesday, the commission emphasised that healthcare should be guided by the principles of Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Affordability, and Quality (AAAAQ) to ensure equity and include “those most left behind.”
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.
The funding includes Sh6.2 billion for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Coordination and Management, Sh13.1 billion for the Primary Healthcare Fund, Sh8 billion for the Emergencies, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, Sh430 million for medical cover for vulnerable groups, and Sh4.6 billion for vaccines and immunisation.
KNCHR also noted ongoing efforts to operationalise the Social Health Authority (SHA) and welcomed Taifa Care as the core strategy for UHC.
However, the commission expressed concern over the withdrawal of services by private hospitals contracted under SHA, including the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) and the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), due to delayed payments.
KNCHR said such disruptions “undermine uninterrupted access to healthcare services” for millions of registered members.
The commission also highlighted unresolved labour disputes affecting UHC health workers, blaming both the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors for failing to address management and remuneration issues.
KNCHR further warned about reports of alleged organ harvesting and trafficking targeting vulnerable people, calling on the Ministry of Health to address the matter “with finality” and urging the Inspector General of Police to undertake “thorough and speedy investigations… and bring the alleged perpetrators to justice.”
Digital inequalities remain a major challenge, particularly for rural communities, women, and persons with disabilities.
While the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) platform is a step forward, the commission cautioned that its reliance on digital systems may “exclude individuals with limited access to ICT infrastructure” and flagged privacy concerns, saying “mechanisms for safeguarding personal health information remain unclear.”
Other pressing issues include medicine shortages, long distances to health facilities in arid areas, and the requirement for annual premium payments.
KNCHR called for a review of the law to allow the “Lipa SHA pole pole Initiative,” which would let members pay in flexible instalments, ensuring access “without undue financial burden.”
The commission urged the government to guarantee timely payments to hospitals, maintain uninterrupted medical supplies, integrate Human Rights Impact Assessments in digital health systems, and create an independent human resource agency for health workers to strengthen UHC implementation.
