Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, DP Kithure Kindiki and Health CS Aden Duale during the Health Summit at KICC, on August 19, 2026. [Courtesy]
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for stronger coordination between the national and county governments to guarantee smooth health reforms that translate into reliable services for all Kenyans.
Prof Kindiki said an effective health system depends on having the right health workers, equipment, medicines and technologies, as well as timely delivery of services.
According to the Deputy President, failure in any part of the system would immediately affect patients.
“A trained healthcare worker without medicine cannot treat. Modern equipment without personnel or maintenance cannot provide health services,” said Prof Kindiki.
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Counties, he said, remain central to the success of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and primary healthcare.
Counties manage frontline facilities, Community Health Promoters (CHP) and facilities up to Level Five.
Kindiki spoke during Speaking at the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during the Health Summit at KICC on August 19, 2026. [Courtesy]
He said the Primary Healthcare Fund has received Sh27 billion and paid Sh23 billion to more than 9,300 Level Two and Three facilities, supporting more than 20 million outpatient visits by 15 million Kenyans.
He said the number of Primary Care Networks had also risen to 278 across the country.
Further, the Deputy President called for greater accountability in the use of health funds, saying performance should be measured through medicine availability, waiting times, early diagnosis, maternal and child health outcomes and completed referrals.
"Primary healthcare must become the dependable front door of our health system,"
On emergency care, Kindiki said the SHA 922 lifeline and National Ambulance Dispatch Centre had improved emergency response.
However, he called for the service to become dependable in every county.
Kindiki also highlighted the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP), saying equipment delivery must translate into functioning machines, trained personnel, available consumables and timely services.
On the health workforce, Kindiki said the government had deployed 24,000 healthcare interns across all 47 counties since 2022.
Additional at least 262 medical registrars have been sponsored for specialised training.
The government has also committed to recruit some other 5,000 nurses and midwives.
He called for a unified workforce plan covering training, internships, recruitment, deployment, career development and retention.
Kindiki also said KEMSA’s order fill rate had risen from 40 per cent to 91 per cent, following Sh1.5 billion in direct government support and access to a Sh10 billion credit line.
He called for an integrated supply chain that can anticipate shortages before facilities run out of medicines and urged closer integration between KEMSA’s digital systems and the Digital Health Agency.
Kindiki said Kenya must also increase local production of medicines, diagnostic devices and other medical commodities to strengthen health security and create jobs.
He said the next phase of health reforms should focus on measurable outcomes, including facility readiness, equipment uptime, medicine availability, workforce coverage, waiting times, referral completion, patient safety and health outcomes.
“Our objective is straightforward: a health system that works the first time, in every county and for every Kenyan,” said Prof Kindiki.