The Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, today led the Jamii Imara Mashinani Citizen Engagement Forum in Mwingi West Constituency, Kitui County, where residents received updates on key Government development programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and expanding access to essential services.
The forum highlighted ongoing investments across the county, including the KSh4.3 billion, 33-kilometre Kwasiku–Bondoni Road, construction of 307 affordable housing units, more than 500 Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) hostel units, the Thokoa Water Pan, and continued investments in healthcare, education, electricity and road infrastructure.
On health, the Principal Secretary encouraged residents to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA), noting that registration now offers instant membership activation and enables families to access affordable, quality healthcare under the Government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.
She also called for intensified enforcement against the sale of tobacco, novel nicotine products and other illicit substances around schools, stressing the need to protect children and young people from substance abuse and its harmful health effects.
The Jamii Imara Mashinani initiative provides a platform for direct engagement between the Government and citizens, enabling communities to receive updates on development programmes while sharing feedback to strengthen service delivery and inform Government action.
The Principal Secretary was joined by Jonathan Mueke, Charles Nguna Ngusya, Winnie Ngumi, alongside other national and county leaders.
A healthier Kenya begins with individual responsibility and active participation. Together, we can achieve more.
- Mary Muthoni PS Public Health and Professional Standards
Kenya’s pharmaceutical sector continues to grow.
📈 Registered pharmaceutical premises have increased by 53%, from 6,852 in 2018 to 10,497 (as of 23 June 2026).
👩🏽⚕️ Licensed pharmacy professionals have grown by 70%, from 9,031 to 15,397, strengthening access to safe, quality and effective pharmaceutical services.
These milestones were highlighted during the PPB Regulatory Engagement Forum at the 46th Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya Annual Scientific Conference.
Thank you super CS @HonAdenDuale for making our work extremely easy on this matter of interns.Twice now you have posted the HIGHEST EVER number of interns in a single posting. WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS waziri.
Now Monday tuko hapo kwa mbwembwe na nderemo.
There is this little matter about the ones whose graduation delayed due to various reasons,let us work with the training institutions to ensure such unfortunate occurrences be exceptions not the norm.
Let us give them a second posting date to save them from losing two years of their professional careers waiting for next year.
Viva to the proactive spirit of the camel farmer!!
Media representatives in Kitui County were briefed on key Government programmes, with a focus on health sector investments, ahead of the Jamii Imara Mashinani citizen engagement forum.
The Jamii Imara Mashinani team, led by Mary Muthoni, highlighted ongoing investments in healthcare, including the construction of hostels for Kenya Medical Training College students in Kitui. The team also updated the media on Kenya’s preparedness against Ebola, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and rapid response systems to safeguard public health.
The briefing further provided an update on the progress of Social Health Authority (SHA) registration, with residents encouraged to register themselves and their dependants to access affordable, quality healthcare under Taifa Care.
The team also shared updates on Government programmes in the transport and housing sectors and encouraged residents to participate in the upcoming Jamii Imara Mashinani citizen engagement forum to learn more about ongoing development initiatives.
Chaired a meeting with health professional regulatory bodies at the Ministry of Health headquarters to review preparedness for the deployment of the 2026/2027 cohort of healthcare interns on 1st July.
The engagement brought together regulators to validate internship readiness, address emerging placement challenges and reinforce a transparent, accountable and efficient deployment process.
I commended the regulatory bodies for completing the verification of eligible graduates and submitting internship lists within the agreed timelines, ensuring a credible basis for deployment.
This financial year, the Government has committed KSh 9.3 billion towards internship training and will deploy 6,360 healthcare interns across various cadres, underscoring our commitment to strengthening the health workforce and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through Taifa Care.
We also reviewed ongoing reforms aimed at aligning health professions education with national workforce needs, including student indexing, workforce planning, internship capacity management and the harmonisation of scopes of practice across health professions.
I was joined in the meeting by PS Ms. Mary Muthoni (Public Health and Professional Standards); Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK)Board Chair Dr. Dabar Abdi; CEO NCK Dr. Lista Onsongo; Ministry's Head of Nursing and Midwifery Services Dr. Judith Awinja; CEO Dr. David Kariuki of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC); Dr Kelly Oluoch of the Kenya Medical Training College(KMTC); Ibrahim Wako of Clinical Officers Council among other Ministry Officials.
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The Ministry of Health, through the Division of Port Health Services, is conducting a Population Connectivity Across Borders (PopCAB) exercise at the Namanga One Stop Border Post in collaboration with the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC).
The exercise is assessing population movement patterns, identifying formal and informal crossing points, and analysing mobility dynamics to better understand public health risks associated with cross-border travel and trade.
The findings will strengthen disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, and reinforce cross-border collaboration between Kenya and Tanzania to enhance regional health security.
Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, today held a consultative meeting with Principal Secretary for Defence, Dr. Patrick Mariru, at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters to review the progress of the ongoing construction of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Multi-Speciality Hospital Project in Uasin Gishu County.
The meeting assessed the implementation status of the flagship project being delivered by the Ministry of Defence, with discussions focusing on construction progress, project timelines and other key implementation milestones. The two Principal Secretaries reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the timely completion and operational readiness of the facility.
Dr. Oluga reiterated the Government’s commitment to strategic investments that strengthen healthcare infrastructure, expand access to specialised medical services and advance the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. He noted that the MTRH Multi-Speciality Hospital Project is a critical national investment that will enhance Kenya’s capacity to provide advanced healthcare, support medical training and research, and strengthen the country’s referral health system.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of sustained collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Defence in delivering priority national health infrastructure projects that improve access to quality healthcare services for wananchi.
Upon completion in early 2027, the 2,000-bed MTRH Multi-Speciality Hospital will be the largest hospital in Kenya, significantly expanding the country’s specialised healthcare capacity while positioning Kenya as a regional centre for advanced medical care, training and research.
Also present were the Ministry of Health’s Head of Infrastructure Projects, Dr. Hezron Omolo, and the Ministry of Defence’s Chief of Special Projects, Brigadier Titus Sokobe.
The future of public health starts with one conversation. One innovation. One partnership.
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“Our approach moving forward is clearly defined by three pillars: prevention, promotion and protection.”
— Mary Muthoni, CBS
Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards
No child should die from a treatable condition.
Many countries are screening newborns and ensuring children get the care
they need. They started small – and built up.
Your country can too.
📋 Find out more: https://t.co/0jKFbvngTF
#EveryBabyCounts
Strengthening accountability and accelerating implementation are critical to building a resilient health system. Through the HEPRR Project, every investment must deliver measurable results that enhance Kenya’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies.
— Dr. Ouma Oluga, OGW
Principal Secretary for Medical Services