LONDON, UK — Kenya has inked new partnerships with top UK institutions to boost pharmaceutical manufacturing and expand healthcare training, as President William Ruto pushes forward with health sector reforms anchored on local capacity and universal coverage.
During his ongoing official visit to the United Kingdom, President Ruto on Wednesday witnessed the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with British universities including King’s College London, the University of Nottingham, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Under the agreement, King’s College and Nottingham will join the Kenya-UK Health Alliance to set up Centres of Health Education and Research Excellence across Kenya.
More significantly, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine will partner with Kenya’s BioVax Institute to produce pharmaceuticals locally under the BioPharmaceutical and Research Innovation for Africa (BRITE) initiative — a move expected to strengthen Kenya’s capacity to manufacture critical medical products and vaccines.
Health Reforms and Insurance Uptake
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Ruto said the new deals align with Kenya’s ongoing reforms in health financing and access.
“In just one year, we’ve expanded health insurance coverage from 7 million to 24 million people,” Ruto said, crediting the growth to the newly launched Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
He added that on average, 50,000 Kenyans register daily on the government’s digital health platform, signaling increasing public confidence in the system.
To sustain the progress, the president said the government has revamped its funding model to rely less on foreign donors and more on locally mobilized resources.
“For the vulnerable members of our society, health insurance contributions have dropped from 10% to 2.75% of income. For the rest, it’s risen from 0.1% to 2.75%, creating a fairer and more sustainable system,” he explained.
Our Social Health Authority is working. In eight months, the transformative medical scheme has served more than 4.9 million people, way above what NHIF would have managed. The criminal elements that are staining SHA will not succeed. We have tracked and closed over 1,000
Investing in Public Hospitals
The president also noted a collaboration with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to acquire hospital equipment without burdening the national budget.
Additionally, Kenya has now deployed 107,000 Community Health Promoters nationwide, including 7,840 in Nairobi.
These frontline health workers are trained to provide basic care and health monitoring within communities.
“These promoters are our bridge to the grassroots. They detect early signs of illness and help in health education and referral,” Ruto said.
The agreements come at a time when Kenya is seeking to reduce its dependence on medical imports and expand access to affordable, quality care for all citizens.
