Mental illness disorders will for the first time be eligible under national insurance benefits after the government decided to incorporate mental health care under the Taifa Care Model benefits package.
This was revealed while launching the 2nd National Mental Health Conference in Nairobi, where Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed that the shift shows seriousness by the government to make healthcare affordable in price.
Mental health care has been added for the first time in the package of national insurance cover,” said Duale. “No Kenyan should ever have to make a choice between having enough to feed their family or being able to access mental health care. That’s what Afya Bora kwa Wakenya Wote truly means quality at no cost.”.
The conference, “Securing the Future: A Holistic Approach to Mental Health for Generations,” convened government officials, health specialists, and civil society members to talk about how mental health services could be made accessible and non-stigmatizing.
Duale confirmed that the Mental Health Act of 2023 and the Kenya Mental Health Policy are still spearheading reforms in the industry with an emphasis on tackling mental wellness as a fundamental human right.
He continued to list the government’s drive to decentralize services via over 107,000 Community Health Promoters, who are being empowered and trained to extend early intervention to the grassroots level. This is how we turn care into reality among individuals by making it come within their reach,” he added.
Kenya’s extension of mental health care to national insurance is the latest move, following increased recognition of mental illnesses as a serious public health concern. At the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, Duale also reiterated Kenya’s leadership in catalyzing the conversation on mental health revolution on the continent.
He also called on national government and county government, schools, faiths, civil society, and the private sector to collaborate in the development of a more robust, unified mental health response.
The three-day conference, coordinated by Dr. Mercy Karanja, Acting Head Mental Health Division, had some of the most noted speakers in attendance, including Dr. Frank Njenga, erstwhile Presidential Advisor on Mental Health, and Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary Medical Services. From the Council of Governors, Amref Health Africa, Aga Khan University Hospital, and Johnson & Johnson, there were participants.
To some of its backers, adding mental health to Kenya’s covered insurance is not a policy decision it’s a signal that mental health matters, and care must be available to all Kenyans who need it.
