NAIROBI, Kenya – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the government’s decision to phase out the Linda Mama free maternity programme, saying the shift to a household-based health coverage model was necessary to fix deep-seated gaps in the system.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, Duale said the 10-year-old initiative — which offered free maternal services under the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) — had become unsustainable and unevenly administered.
“The Linda Mama programme is not currently administered under the Social Health Authority infrastructure,” Duale said. “While it was instrumental in expanding access to free maternal care, it faced very critical challenges that led to the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable model.”
Funding and Equity Gaps
Duale outlined several weaknesses that hindered the programme’s impact, including frequent financing constraints, budget cuts, delayed reimbursements, and inequities in access, particularly for adolescent mothers without identification documents.
He also pointed out that Linda Mama’s benefits were not comprehensive, excluding key services such as complication management and neonatal care, which left many women and newborns without essential treatment.
“The benefit package was limited, and many vulnerable mothers were unable to get complete care,” Duale told senators.
Shift to Household Health Coverage
The Cabinet Secretary said the new approach, implemented through the Social Health Authority (SHA), will provide broader and fairer coverage by focusing on entire households rather than individual programs.
He said the model is anchored in four new health laws passed by Parliament to strengthen Kenya’s universal health coverage (UHC) reforms.
Under the framework, the government is currently sponsoring 558,000 vulnerable households identified through the Enhanced Single Registry managed by the State Department for Social Protection.
“This strategic framework ensures that no vulnerable family is left behind,” Duale said. “We are moving from fragmented programmes to a unified system that guarantees sustainable access to healthcare for all Kenyans.”
End of Linda Mama Era
Introduced in 2013 under NHIF, Linda Mama provided free maternity care during pregnancy, delivery and postnatal periods.
It was a cornerstone of Kenya’s maternal health push and a key milestone in the journey toward UHC.
With the SHA now replacing NHIF, the government says the new household-based model will streamline funding, expand benefits, and ensure equitable access to health services nationwide.
