Inside Duale's seven-point pledge to overhaul ailing Health docket

Aden Duale officially takes Health Ministry from Debora Barasa, who is transitioning to the Ministry of Environment. [File, Ministry]

Aden Duale has officially taken over the Ministry of Health from Debora Barasa, who is transitioning to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry.

Duale, who assumed office on April 1 at Afya House, Nairobi promised to overhaul the ministry and outlined key reforms.

The new Health Cabinet Secretary began by issuing a stern warning to health facilities employing unqualified personnel, commonly known as 'quacks.' Facilities found non-compliant risk not receiving payments.

Duale commended the Social Health Authority (SHA) for its digitalisation efforts, which have exposed flaws in the defunct NHIF system. He added that the Ministry will now finalise negotiations on Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) with relevant unions.

The new Health boss also announced an increase in ICU and HDU bed rebates, effective April 1, and pledged to settle SHA claims by the 14th of each month moving forward.

"As previously announced by the President, effective today, April 1, 2025, the ICU and HDU bed rebate will be increased to Sh28,000 per day, and the oncology package for cancer patients will be enhanced to Sh550,000 per person," said Duale.

Further, system hitches will also be addressed to ensure seamless service delivery. The newly deployed 24/7 TaifaCare call center, reachable at the toll-free number 147, will handle all public queries.

As part of efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Duale outlined ongoing governance and finance reforms at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to improve the availability of essential health products and technologies.

"KEMSA's current order fill rate stands at 43 per cent. The agency is facing stock-outs due to insufficient funding to replenish health commodities," he explained.

The CS also highlighted that Mombasa, Bomet, Nyeri, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Kirinyaga are among the top five counties where the 20.8 million Kenyans who have registered with the SHA reside, along with 5.7 million of their dependents.

Last week, Duale visited Afya House, where he met with Barasa and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening health systems, ensuring equity, and advancing UHC.

In her handover speech, Barasa thanked the president for the opportunity to serve for the eight months she was at the helm of the docket and expressed confidence in Duale's leadership.