President William Ruto has officially presided over the opening of the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, held under the theme “Reforms Delivered, Health as a Right.”
Kenya is making progress in its drive to expand access to healthcare, with the government pointing to increased health insurance registration, expanded medical equipment and improved supplies of essential medicines as key gains from its reform programme.
The reforms, led by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, are aimed at making healthcare more accessible and strengthening the delivery of services through digital systems, improved financing and expanded medical infrastructure.
The government said 32.3 million Kenyans had been registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), while more than 10,000 health facilities had been accredited. More than 42,000 digital devices have also been deployed to support the Taifa Care programme, electronic medical records and real-time processing of health claims.
Under the Ksh9.6 billion (USD74 million) National Equipment Service Programme, 862 specialised medical equipment units have been deployed to 251 health facilities across 44 counties, the government said.
The programme is intended to bring specialised medical services closer to patients and reduce the need for Kenyans to travel long distances for treatment.
The government has also recapitalised the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority with Ksh10 billion, helping raise its order fill rate from 35% to 95%, according to the Ministry of Health.
The increase is expected to improve the availability of essential medicines and medical commodities in public health facilities.
Kenya has also expanded its health workforce, with 24,573 healthcare interns deployed and 7,414 Universal Health Coverage staff moved to permanent and pensionable terms.
The government plans to recruit and deploy a further 5,000 nurses and midwives, with a focus on expanding maternal and newborn healthcare.
The reforms come as Kenya seeks to build a more integrated health system while addressing longstanding challenges around access, affordability, medical supplies and staffing.
The summit brought together senior government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, as well as governors, cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries and development partners.
Among those attending were Health Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth, United Nations Resident Coordinator Garry Conille, members of parliament, diplomats, development partners and private-sector representatives.
The government said the reforms were part of a broader effort to establish a people-centred health system in which quality healthcare is treated as a right rather than a privilege.
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