The government is stepping up investment in primary healthcare as it seeks to detect diseases earlier, reduce costly hospital treatment and ease the financial burden of illness on households.
State Department for Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga said Sh19 billion had been allocated to primary healthcare, with the focus shifting towards prevention and community-based services.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Wednesday, Oluga said the approach was aimed at tackling chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and sickle cell disease before they become severe.
“We are investing downstream. Downstream means at the source,” he said.
The strategy is being driven largely by Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who are tasked with screening households, educating communities and referring people for treatment when necessary.
Oluga said CHPs had so far screened nine million Kenyans for diabetes and conducted 4.8 million blood pressure checks, helping identify health risks before they develop into serious conditions.
More than 107,000 CHPs are currently being supported with stipends, digital devices and medical kits.
The Ministry of Health had also registered 8.8 million households on the electronic Community Health Information System by September 2025, while 228 Primary Care Networks had been established across all 47 counties.
Oluga said early intervention could help reduce the number of patients requiring expensive procedures such as dialysis and major surgery.
“You don’t want people to get to a stage where now you are paying for dialysis,” he said.
The shift comes amid a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, with about 800,000 Kenyans living with diabetes and another 900,000 with hypertension, according to figures cited by the PS.
However, Oluga said prevention alone would not address the needs of people already living with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
About 1.4 million Kenyans are taking antiretroviral drugs, while thousands more require long-term care for cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and other conditions. The Social Health Authority (SHA) remains key in financing medicines, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for such patients.
Government figures show more than eight million Kenyans had accessed free services at dispensaries and health centres through the Primary Healthcare Fund by March 2026.
By June, 31.39 million people had registered with SHA, while the scheme had financed more than 1.16 million safe deliveries since October 2024.
Maternal healthcare remains a concern, with only 58 per cent of women attending the recommended four antenatal visits in the previous year. Kenya's maternal mortality ratio stands at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Oluga said improving health outcomes would also require action beyond hospitals, including better housing, sanitation, clean water, food security, education and household incomes.
“Health is manufactured way outside health,” he said.
The government has launched the ONE Everywoman, Every Newborn, Everywhere programme to encourage antenatal care and improve maternal and newborn health, as it seeks to build a health system centred on prevention, early detection and timely treatment.