Kenyans See Health As a Key Priority for Government Action, Endorse Universal Access

23 January 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Anne Okello and Eunice Karimi

Most citizens say they worry about being unable to obtain or afford medical care.

Key findings

  • Health tops the list of important problems that Kenyans say their government must address.
  • About four in 10 citizens (39%) say they have medical aid coverage.
  • Among those who don't have health insurance, the most common reason is that they can't afford it (cited by 59%).
  • Most citizens (89%) say they worry at least "a little bit" about being unable to obtain or afford medical care if they or their family should need it. More than half (57%) say they worry "a lot."
  • A majority (57%) of respondents say the government should ensure universal access to health care, even if it means raising taxes.
  • Among the 63% of respondents who had contact with a public clinic or hospital during the year preceding the survey, a majority (62%) say it was difficult to obtain the services they needed.
  • One-third (32%) say they had to pay a bribe, give a gift, or do a favour to obtain the services they needed.
  • And strong majorities say they encountered problems such as a lack of medicines or supplies (92%), long wait times (89%), care or medicines they could not afford (82%), absent medical personnel (72%), and poor facility conditions (62%).
  • More than two-thirds (68%) of citizens say they or a family member went without medicines or medical treatment at least once during the previous year.
  • Overall, a majority (63%) of Kenyans disapprove of their government's performance on improving basic health services.
  • And fewer than half (47%) say they trust the Ministry of Health "somewhat" or "a lot."
  • Kenyans overwhelmingly (92%) say that vaccination against childhood illnesses should be mandatory.

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In Kenya, health care is a key pillar of the government's promotion of inclusive growth, as outlined in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (Republic of Kenya, 2024a). For the 2025/2026 financial year, the government allocated Ksh 138.1 billion to health care, an 8.7% increase from the previous year (Grant Thornton, 2025; Bekidusa, 2025). However, critical programmes such as medical coverage for the elderly and persons living with disabilities experienced funding cuts of up to 50% (Adhiambo, 2025). Furthermore, the sector's allotment accounted for only 3.45% of the national budget, falling well short of the 15% commitment made in the 2001 Abuja Declaration (African Institute for Development Policy, 2023).

Kenya's Universal Health Coverage Policy (2020-2030) aims to ensure equitable access to quality health services without financial hardship (Republic of Kenya, 2020). In October 2024, the government officially transitioned from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to provide broader access and improved efficiency in health care services (Republic of Kenya, 2024b). However, reports show that despite the SHIF rollout, 55% of patients still pay out of pocket for their medical expenses (Owoko, 2024). And only one in five health-care facilities consistently receive government payments and reimbursements, limiting the ability of many facilities to meet operational and payroll costs (Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya, 2025). Additionally, the 2023/2024 auditor general's report flagged the Social Health Authority for issuing an unconstitutional procurement worth Ksh 104.8 billion, compounding accountability concerns (Republic of Kenya, 2025).

Currently, there is one doctor for every 5,263 people in Kenya, nowhere near the 1:1,000 ratio recommended by the World Health Organization (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2023; Osoo, 2024). A 2023 Ministry of Health census revealed that while most facilities (90%) provided basic outpatient services, few offered mental health (17%), dental extraction (12%), and rehabilitative services (6%) (Republic of Kenya, 2023). These limitations, coupled with concerns over remuneration and placement of trainee doctors, continue to fuel frequent industrial action by health-care workers (Mundia, 2024).

This dispatch presents findings from a special Afrobarometer Round 10 survey module focusing on health care.

Responses show that health is the top priority for Kenyans when it comes to needed government action. A majority of citizens don't have medical aid coverage, primarily because of its cost, and most say they worry that they won't be able to obtain or afford medical care should they need it. More than two-thirds report that a family member went without health care at least once during the previous year. A majority of Kenyans support the idea that the government should ensure universal access to health care, even if it requires tax increases.

Citizens' experiences with the health care system also raise concerns: Among those who sought care at a public clinic or hospital, a majority say it was difficult to obtain services, and many encountered problems such as a lack of medicines, long wait times, unaffordable costs, absent personnel, and poor facility conditions.

Fewer than half express trust in the Ministry of Health, and a majority of citizens disapprove of the government's performance on improving basic health care.

Anne Okello is the assistant project manager for East Africa

Eunice Karimi is a research assistant at the Institute for Development Studies.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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