NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 – Industry leaders, government officials, and innovators have called for deeper collaboration to unlock the full potential of digital health systems, as partnerships take center stage at the fifth edition of the Smart Summit 2026.
Speakers at the summit emphasized that while technology is rapidly reshaping healthcare delivery, its real impact depends on how effectively stakeholders work together across sectors.
Robert Kirubi, Board Member of Smart Applications International, said the future of healthcare will not be defined by innovation alone, but by the strength of partnerships built around it.
“It is not simply a slogan. It is a recognition that the world we want a world where healthcare is accessible, efficient, and equitable cannot be postponed,” he said.
“It must be built deliberately through the choices we make today and the partnerships we nurture tomorrow.”
He noted that healthcare systems across Africa are under strain from rising populations and limited resources, but pointed to technology as a key enabler if deployed collaboratively.
“Technology becomes transformative when it enables collaboration between sectors and institutions that historically worked in isolation,” Kirubi added.
“When governments, healthcare providers, insurers, innovators, and development partners align around shared objectives, technology becomes the bridge that connects vision with implementation.”
The summit heard that digitization is already reshaping operations in the insurance and healthcare value chain, reducing reliance on manual processes and improving efficiency.
Andrew Musangi, Board Chairman at Smart Applications International, highlighted how automation has streamlined claims management and patient verification, while urging stronger public-private cooperation.
“Each of your offices had two to three floors with hundreds of people processing claims manually. Today, that is all being done through technology,” he said.
“This is not the end of our journey; it is just where we are today. For SMART, it is about collaborating with partners to build the next stage.”
Musangi underscored the critical role of government in shaping the sector, calling for policies that foster innovation while safeguarding sensitive health data.
“Government leads policy, but develops it together with the private sector,” he noted.
“Creating an enabling environment remains central to progress in digital healthcare.”
On the public sector side, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga pointed to data as a strategic asset that requires coordinated partnerships to deliver value.
He said Kenya has accumulated decades of health data that remains underutilized, but recent investments in a national health information exchange could change that if stakeholders align.
“How do we use this asset of data to move forward?” he posed.
“We must form partnerships of progress not by force, but by design bringing together systems from hospitals, community health networks, and industry players into one integrated pipeline.”
The discussions come at a time when Kenya is accelerating healthcare digitization under broader universal health coverage reforms, with increasing emphasis on interoperability, data governance, and private sector participation.
Deliberations at the summit suggest that the next phase of healthcare transformation will hinge less on standalone innovations and more on structured, cross-sector partnerships that align incentives, data, and delivery systems.
The fifth Smart Summit brought together policymakers, innovators, healthcare providers, and private sector partners to explore practical solutions for scaling affordable digital health services.
