NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ministry of Health has signed its Performance Contracts for the 2025/2026 financial year, with Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale pledging stricter fiscal discipline, accountability, and accelerated reforms to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The contracts, covering July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, were signed following the vetting of Ministerial Performance Contracts in July 2025 and in line with national Performance Contracting Guidelines. The process aligns the Ministry’s targets with national development priorities and cascades obligations to directorates, departments, divisions, and units.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Duale said the framework will entrench responsible governance and measurable outcomes in the health sector.
“We must convert policy commitments into concrete actions and verifiable results,” Duale said, underscoring the Ministry’s constitutional obligation to uphold transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service.
The CS linked the new performance cycle to the 5th Administration’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), describing health as a pillar of economic growth and social stability. He said a resilient health system safeguards human dignity and strengthens national productivity.
Duale cited progress in health financing reforms, digital health integration, expanded benefits coverage, strengthened community health systems, and improved access to specialised services. He attributed the gains to coordinated leadership and institutional discipline.
The ceremony was attended by Principal Secretaries Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim (National Government Coordination), Ouma Oluga (Medical Services), and Mary Muthoni (Public Health and Professional Standards). Also present was Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth, alongside ministry directors and technical heads.
Duale commended senior management for “driving reforms with focus and integrity,” but warned that every public shilling allocated to health must deliver tangible value to citizens.
He called for enhanced fiscal discipline, faster reform implementation, improved service standards, and stronger collaboration between the national and county governments. Health is a devolved function under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, with counties responsible for service delivery while the national government sets policy and standards.
Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees every person the right “to the highest attainable standard of health.” The performance contracts, officials said, are designed to operationalise that constitutional promise through measurable targets and institutional accountability.
The Ministry faces mounting public scrutiny over health financing reforms and the rollout of UHC, particularly in ensuring equity, affordability, and transparency in resource allocation. Analysts note that performance contracting, if rigorously enforced, can improve service delivery and curb wastage in public institutions.
However, governance experts caution that the success of the contracts will depend on consistent monitoring, independent evaluation, and timely public reporting of results.
Duale expressed confidence that the 2025/2026 cycle will be defined by disciplined execution, ethical stewardship, and innovation. “There will be zero tolerance for complacency,” he said, pledging to anchor reforms on equity, sustainability, and accountability.
