Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has called for education, research and skills development to become the cornerstone of the Kenya-United Kingdom health partnership.
Ogamba argued that the success of universal health coverage depends on a highly skilled and innovative healthcare workforce.
Speaking during the 5th Kenya-UK Health Alliance Conference and the renewal of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at King’s College London, Ogamba said the next phase of collaboration should go beyond healthcare service delivery by investing in institutions that train doctors, nurses, pharmacists, biomedical engineers and other health professionals.
"Health systems are built by educated professionals, powered by innovation born in universities and research institutions, and sustained by technical and vocational skills developed in our colleges and polytechnics," Ogamba said.
The Kenya-UK Health Alliance, established in 2021, was created to strengthen collaboration between institutions in both countries in healthcare training, research and innovation.
Since its inception, the alliance has attracted more than £116 million in research and capacity-building investments while fostering partnerships between universities, hospitals and research organizations.
Among its notable achievements, the alliance has facilitated the training of more than 280 Kenyan nurses, enabling them to attain international standards and secure employment within the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS).
The programme has been implemented through partnerships involving Oxford Radcliffe, Royal Berkshire, the Royal Free London and Cambridge/East of England healthcare institutions.
Ogamba noted that the partnership has also delivered significant gains in oncology, antimicrobial stewardship and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Health Education and Training, bringing together six Kenyan universities to enhance health education.
Looking ahead, the Cabinet Secretary urged both governments to align education and training with emerging healthcare needs by redesigning curricula to produce graduates equipped with practical, industry-relevant skills.
He said Kenya's ongoing implementation of the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) system provides an opportunity to produce professionals who are better prepared for modern healthcare environments.
"The goal of our Alliance must be co-production: joint research, joint intellectual property and joint clinical innovation," he said.
Ogamba further pointed at Kenya's decision to elevate the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) into specialized postgraduate degree-awarding institutions, describing the move as a major step toward strengthening the country's scientific research capacity.
He expressed optimism that the renewed agreement would support joint postgraduate programmes in biosciences, public health, health informatics and medical engineering, while expanding research fellowships for scholars from both Kenya and the UK.
The Cabinet Secretary also linked education reforms to Kenya's ambition of becoming a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub, noting that the sector requires a highly trained workforce comprising chemical engineers, laboratory technologists, regulatory experts and quality assurance specialists.
He said the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership 2025–2030, backed by a commitment of up to £1.5 billion, provides a unique opportunity to prioritize workforce development and research collaboration.
Ogamba proposed increased investment in health training institutions through public-private partnerships, expanded scholarships in health sciences and biomedical research, and the establishment of industry-linked innovation parks jointly managed by Kenyan and UK universities.
"Every ambition at this conference, from universal health coverage to pharmaceutical manufacturing and health investment, rests on a foundation of skills. Skills are not a footnote in development; they are its precondition," Ogamba said.
Medical Services Principal Secretary, Dr. Ouma Oluga, called for the next phase of the Kenya–United Kingdom Health Alliance (KUKHA) to build on five years of collaboration by moving beyond individual programmes towards sustainable, system-level solutions that strengthen health systems and deliver better outcomes for people.
He pointed gains from the partnership in specialised healthcare, cancer services, clinical training and research, including PET-CT and molecular imaging capacity, mobile endoscopy services for oesophageal cancer, the Kenya–UK Breast Cancer Initiative and oncology training for more than 100 clinicians.
He further said Kenya is entering the next phase of the partnership with major health reforms underway through Taifa Care and the Social Health Authority, strengthened primary and community healthcare, digital health transformation, the National Equipment Service Programme and investments in health products and technologies.
The PS called for future partnerships to be country-led, co-designed, co-financed and co-accountable, with greater alignment to Kenya’s national health priorities.
