NAIROBI,Kenya Mar 19-Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga has sounded the alarm on Kenya’s health sector sustainability, calling for urgent reforms to integrate services and boost domestic financing amid shrinking donor support.
Speaking at the 11th Health Integration Summit 2026 in Mombasa, PS Oluga challenged policymakers, donors and implementers to shift from dialogue to action, warning that delays could undermine critical health gains made over the years.
“Stakeholders must now move beyond discussions and focus on concrete, time-bound actions that address the barriers slowing progress in integrated service delivery,” he said.
The five-day summit, running from March 15 to 19, has convened actors from national and county governments, civil society and development partners, with a focus on strengthening collaboration and advancing integrated, people-centred healthcare. The meeting is aligned with Kenya’s push towards Universal Health Coverage under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
PS Oluga underscored that Kenya is entering a critical transition period, as traditional donor funding which has long supported key programmes such as HIV, tuberculosis and immunisation continues to decline. This shift, he noted, demands a fundamental rethink of how the country finances and delivers healthcare.
“With declining donor support, Kenya must strengthen its own health financing mechanisms to ensure continuity of essential services, including maternal care, immunisation and treatment for chronic conditions,” he said.
Health experts at the summit emphasised that fragmented service delivery remains a major bottleneck in Kenya’s healthcare system. Patients often navigate multiple, disconnected programmes particularly in areas such as HIV care, reproductive health and non-communicable diseases leading to inefficiencies, duplication and higher costs.
Integration, stakeholders said, would streamline services by enabling patients to access multiple interventions under one system, reducing missed diagnoses and improving overall health outcomes.
PS Oluga noted that better coordination between national and county governments, alongside digitisation of health records and stronger primary healthcare systems, would be critical in achieving this goal.
Kenya’s health sector has historically relied heavily on donor funding, particularly from global initiatives such as the Global Fund and PEPFAR. However, shifting global priorities and funding constraints are forcing countries to take greater ownership of their health systems.
Recent estimates indicate that out-of-pocket expenditure still accounts for a significant share of health spending in Kenya, exposing households to financial risk and undermining access to care.
Experts at the summit warned that without increased domestic investment, gains made in reducing maternal and child mortality, expanding immunisation coverage and managing infectious diseases could stall or even reverse.
Kenya’s renewed focus on health financing is closely tied to ongoing reforms under the Social Health Insurance framework, anchored in the Social Health Authority, which replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund. The reforms aim to expand coverage, pool risks and reduce reliance on out-of-pocket payments.
PS Oluga said strengthening such mechanisms would be key to achieving universal access to quality healthcare.
“Building a resilient and self-sustaining health system requires deliberate investment in domestic financing and efficient service delivery models,” he said.
Participants at the summit also highlighted the need for accountability in resource use, improved supply chain management and greater investment in healthcare workers.
There were renewed calls for innovative financing approaches, including public-private partnerships, county-level resource mobilisation and the use of technology to improve efficiency and transparency.
