NAIROBI, Kenya — The government has launched the process of developing Kenya’s first comprehensive policy on human resources for health, in a move aimed at addressing long-standing workforce shortages and structural inefficiencies in the country’s healthcare system.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the initiative on Sunday, noting that Kenya has operated without a dedicated policy to guide the development, deployment, and management of healthcare professionals since independence.
In a statement shared via his official X account, Duale said the proposed Kenya Healthcare Professionals’ Policy, 2026, will streamline training and ensure the country produces the right number of healthcare workers with appropriate skills.
“This will ensure we train the right cadre of healthcare workers in the right numbers to ensure proper skills mix,” he said.
The draft policy seeks to resolve persistent challenges affecting healthcare professionals across both national and county governments, where staffing gaps, inequitable distribution, and weak coordination have undermined service delivery.
The Ministry of Health said the framework will strengthen governance structures, enhance intergovernmental coordination, and promote partnerships critical to workforce management.
According to the ministry, the policy will guide workforce planning through 2036 and inform the next Human Resources for Health (HRH) strategic plan. It will also align with broader sector reforms, including digital health systems and the strengthening of primary healthcare.
Key pillars of the proposed policy include improving workforce planning, ensuring sustainable financing, enhancing management systems, and supporting continuous professional development.
It also aims to reform education and training to better match evolving healthcare needs while harmonising legislative and regulatory frameworks governing health professionals.
Health experts have long argued that workforce challenges remain one of the biggest barriers to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which Kenya has committed to delivering by 2030.
UHC seeks to ensure all citizens have access to essential, high-quality health services without suffering financial hardship.
The new policy is expected to provide a structured approach to addressing these gaps by ensuring an adequate supply of healthcare workers, an optimal skills mix, and equitable distribution across counties. It also aims to improve performance and accountability within the health system.
