President William Ruto has used the Kenya Health Summit 2026 to engage Kenyans on the country’s ongoing health reforms, with citizens sharing their experiences and concerns about access to healthcare.
The Presidential Town Hall, held as part of the summit, brought together Ruto, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and other Ministry of Health officials as Kenyans raised issues affecting them and their families.
The session also gave the government an opportunity to highlight progress made since the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and other reforms in the health sector.
According to the government, 32.3 million Kenyans have so far been registered with SHA, while 107,000 Community Health Promoters have been deployed across the country.
The Community Health Promoters are involved in health education, screening, early detection of illnesses and referring patients for further care.
The government also highlighted investment in medical equipment under the KSh9.8 billion National Equipment Service Programme.
Through the programme, 52 digital X-ray machines, 72 ultrasound machines and six mammography units have been delivered to health facilities.
The government said 39 CT scanners have also been installed, while 67 hospital theatres have been renovated and equipped.
In addition, 157 laboratories have been established, alongside four urology theatres and four ear, nose and throat theatres.
At Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the government said the replacement of the linear accelerator machine is expected to strengthen cancer treatment services.
The country’s largest referral hospital now has 32 fully equipped theatres, according to the Ministry of Health, allowing it to handle specialised and complex procedures.
Government highlights SHA progress
SHA remained one of the key areas of discussion during the summit as the government continues to defend the new health insurance system amid concerns from members of the public.
The government said the registration of 32.3 million Kenyans represents a major step towards expanding access to healthcare.
However, the system has continued to attract public attention, particularly over access to services, hospital payments and the experience of patients seeking treatment.
The Town Hall provided an opportunity for Kenyans to share some of these experiences directly with government officials.
The government also pointed to the Linda Jamii programme, which it said is expanding access to affordable health protection for mothers, children and households.
More health workers deployed
The government also highlighted efforts to address shortages of health workers in public facilities.
According to the Ministry, 7,414 health workers have been employed on permanent and pensionable terms, while another 28,174 have been deployed across the counties.
The government said the posting of interns and implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement are also aimed at supporting healthcare delivery.
Digital systems have also become part of the government’s health reforms.
Officials said digital health platforms are helping provide real-time information while supporting telemedicine, tracking and tracing of medical products, accountability and decision-making within the health sector.
The Kenya Health Summit comes at a time when healthcare remains one of the issues that directly affects millions of households, from the cost of treatment to the availability of doctors, medicines and specialised services.
By bringing citizens into the discussion, the government said it hopes to use their experiences and feedback to guide the next phase of health reforms.
The challenge now will be translating the progress highlighted at the summit into changes that Kenyans can actually see when they walk into a health facility.
For many patients, the success of the reforms will ultimately be measured not by the number of people registered or equipment installed, but by whether they can access quality treatment when they need it without facing barriers they cannot afford.
