When debt crowds out health: The hidden cost of Kenya's Sh13 trillion debt burden

Kenya’s Sh13 trillion debt is squeezing healthcare funding, experts warn, threatening essential services and Universal Health Coverage. [Courtesy

Kenya’s Sh13 trillion public debt is increasingly being felt beyond the Treasury, with health experts warning that fiscal pressure and declining donor support could leave critical health programmes struggling to maintain services.

The warning comes as Kenya attempts to finance its health system more independently while facing rising demand for healthcare and shrinking external support.