Health experts have raised concern that several diabetic cases in the country go undiagnosed.
The increasing prevalence of diabetes in Kenya was the focus of the ongoing Kenya Diabetes Study Group’s Annual Conference 2025.
According to Ministry of Health data shared at the forum, an estimated 800,000 Kenyans are currently diagnosed with diabetes.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga has said that the actual number of cases is believed to be significantly higher, potentially over two million, due to undiagnosed individuals.
“Many patients are only diagnosed when complications have already occurred—such as kidney failure or heart attacks,” Oluga said.
Oluga said this pattern of late diagnosis results in higher treatment costs, worse health outcomes, and additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
The experts at the conference have called for urgent need to transition from reactive to preventive care, with emphasis on routine community-based
screening, public education,
and early intervention to reduce
the long-term burden of the disease.
Kenya Diabetes
Study Group President Dr Rosslyn Ngugi highlighted the high rates of undiagnosed diabetes encountered
during field screenings.
With many individuals unaware of their condition, Ngugi emphasised the importance of encouraging family-level risk assessment, dietary awareness, and physical
activity as foundational elements of prevention.
Recent revisions to the Kenya Essential Medicines List and the
ongoing dissemination of new clinical
guidelines were cited as steps toward standardising treatment and
improving access across different regions of the country.
In addition to clinical
recommendations, the forum also addressed policy-level reforms aimed at
improving affordability and equity in diabetes care.
They include deployment of 100,000
community health promoters, each equipped with glucometers to
support local monitoring and referrals.
The Primary
Healthcare Fund, introduced through the Social Health Insurance
Act, supports free diabetes
screening and testing at primary-level health facilities, whether
public, private, or faith-based.
In addition, there is proposed access
programmes targeting a 50 per cent reduction in the cost of diabetes medication to improve affordability for patients across sectors.
Despite the reforms, several inconsistencies in
the current framework were also highlighted at the forum.
For instance, while insulin remains tax-exempt, glucose testing strips are
still taxed—a discrepancy that continues to affect access to regular
monitoring.
According to Oluga, the ministry is engaging the Kenya Revenue Authority and National Treasury to explore policy
adjustments under the VAT Act
and the East Africa Customs Management
Act.
Oluga called for locally relevant, evidence-based policies
rather than blanket adoption of international approaches.
“We are not America. We are not
China. We are Kenya. We must make context-specific,
evidence-based decisions,” Oluga said.
He further emphasised that health
system reforms should be developed through broad stakeholder engagement, including civil society
organisations, academic researchers, and healthcare professional groups.
This will ensure policies are responsive to Kenya’s unique social and economic
conditions.
From plenary sessions to technical workshops,
the event signaled growing consensus that diabetes cannot be effectively
managed through treatment alone.
Prevention,
education, and equitable access emerged as the cornerstones of a
long-term solution.
With Kenya facing a substantial and
rising diabetes burden, the success of its national response will depend not
only on clinical innovation but also on how well health systems integrate community outreach, cost control, and inclusive governance into their
framework.