In the last stages, patients would slip into a deep, irreversible sleep, one from which dozens of Kenyans never woke up. Photo/ WHO.It was known as the “silent killer” of the countryside. Victims would start with a fever, then headaches, then confusion. They would eventually slip into a deep, irreversible sleep, one from which dozens of Kenyans never woke up.That nightmare is now officially over.The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis – commonly known as sleeping sickness – as a public health problem. The announcement, made on Thursday, marks a historic milestone in the…
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The Nairobi Hospital’s annual Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament, aimed at raising awareness and support for pediatric cardiac care. This year’s edition was held under the theme “Giving Little Hearts Big Dreams.”The Nairobi Hospital on Friday hosted the Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament at the Karen Country Club to raise funds and awareness for children living with congenital heart disease (CHD).Held under the theme “Giving Little Hearts Big Dreams,” the annual tournament is also aimed at driving community action around the urgent need for accessible pediatric heart care in Kenya.The Children’s Charity Heart Fund has enabled over 400 children,…
The Nairobi Hospital’s annual Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament, aimed at raising awareness and support for pediatric cardiac care. This year’s edition was held under the theme “Giving Little Hearts Big Dreams.”The Nairobi Hospital on Friday hosted the Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament at the Karen Country Club to raise funds and awareness for children living with congenital heart disease (CHD).Held under the theme “Giving Little Hearts Big Dreams,” the annual tournament is also aimed at driving community action around the urgent need for accessible pediatric heart care in Kenya.The Children’s Charity Heart Fund has enabled over 400 children,…
Insecticide exposure did not just make mosquitoes sick; it supercharged their immune systems against malaria parasites.Scientists have discovered that pyrethroid insecticides, which are commonly used in bed nets and indoor sprays, do more than just kill mosquitoes.They make mosquitoes (those that are exposed to insecticide but survive) less likely to carry and transmit malaria by activating immune responses that kill the disease parasite during development inside the insect.The study, which has not been peer reviewed, is available on bioRxiv.It is titled, “Exposure to pyrethroid insecticides modulates immunity of Anopheles against Plasmodium falciparum.”“These findings highlight an overlooked secondary mode of action…
Nascop boss Dr Andrew Mulwa in Mombasa during Kenya’s World Hepatitis Day commemoration.One in every four residents of Mombasa who inject drugs is infected with hepatitis C, a viral disease that attacks the liver and can lead to chronic liver failure, cancer, or death if left untreated.Unlike hepatitis B, which is mainly spread through unprotected sex, hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person, mainly through sharing contaminated needles or syringes. Many people live with the virus for years without knowing until the damage is irreversible.Speaking in Mombasa during Kenya’s World Hepatitis Day commemoration,…
Group CEO Shalina Clifford speaks during the firm’s 100-year anniversary celebrations held in Nairobi./HANDOUTThe government has been urged to enhance support for local health product manufacturers.The stakeholders say the support will go an way to foster affordable healthcare access and expand job opportunities across the country.The appeal was made during Kaluma’s 100-year anniversary celebration held in Nairobi, where industry players and public health advocates gathered to reflect on the brand’s legacy and the future of local pharmaceutical manufacturing.Kaluma, now under the umbrella of Shalina Healthcare, has been a staple in Kenyan homes for a century, known for its affordable wellness…
Malaria is spread through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito infected with the plasmodium parasite. New evidence has shown how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has been outsmarting Kenya’s health policies for the last 20 years.It shows the parasite not only remembers the medicines it defeated in the past (such as chloroquine), but is building resistance against the drugs we rely on today, while preparing to fight future treatments.Scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and Brown University (US) made this assessment after tracking the parasite’s resistance to malaria drugs in Kenya between 1998 and 2021 in the most…
Sidian Bank team pose with the awards won at the 2025 Think Business Insurance Awards./HANDOUT Sidian Bancassurance Intermediary Limited, a subsidiary of Sidian Bank, emerged as one of the top performers at the 2025 Think Business Insurance Awards held in Nairobi. The firm was crowned the Most Customer-Centric Bancassurance Intermediary, a prestigious title that affirms its strong commitment to innovative, client-focused insurance solutions.The annual awards ceremony, organised by Think Business, took place on Friday, July 4, at Serena Hotel in Nairobi. It brought together industry leaders, including insurance companies, brokers, agents, and intermediaries from across the country.In addition to its major…
The equipment was delivered through the National Equipment Service Program (NESP). The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu has become the latest facility to receive modern radiology equipment.Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Barre Duale officially launched the 128-slice Fuji FCT iStream CT Scanner and a Fuji Amulet Sophinity Digital Mammogram, both the latest machines in medical imaging technology.The equipment was delivered through the National Equipment Service Program (NESP), a government initiative aimed at enhancing diagnostic capabilities and improving healthcare delivery across county hospitals.This investment marks a significant step toward strengthening Kenya’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage…
Jane allowed her case to be documented, highlighting both her struggle and the surgical milestone.When Jane was born 19 years ago, nurses and her mother immediately realised that she did not have an anal opening.Instead, she would strenuously pass stool through a tiny opening in her vagina, a birth defect known as a recto-vestibular fistula.Her mother says she avoided taking her for surgery because the family could not afford it. Jane, whose name has been changed for privacy, learned early on to hide the secret, planning her days around when and where she could find privacy. That meant keeping friendships at arm’s…
Coca Cola Africa President, speaking at the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Luisa Ortega./HANDOUT The Coca-Cola Company has announced that its operations across Africa generated $10.4 billion in economic activity in 2024, supporting more than 1 million jobs. The findings were revealed during the 2025 US-Africa Business Summit held in Luanda, Angola.The data comes from a new socio-economic impact study conducted by global consultancy Steward Redqueen. The study highlights the wide-reaching role of the Coca-Cola system—comprised of The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised bottlers—across 54 African countries.“Our long-standing presence in Africa, working with locally owned bottlers and suppliers, allows us to…
Lenacapavir is given once in six months as an injection by a healthcare provider under the skin in the stomach area. The Global Fund has announced that it signed an access agreement with Gilead Sciences to procure lenacapavir, a twice-a-year injection that has a 99 per cent success rate in preventing HIV infection.The agreement will allow GF to provide the drug cheaply to the countries that it currently supports.Kenya is among the countries supported by GF, but how soon it receives the new drug will depend on, among other factors, how fast the Pharmacy and Poisons Board approves its use locally.In…
Rotary International Trustee Chair Mark Maloney. The global ambition to eradicate polio, once seemingly within reach, confronts an array of formidable challenges ranging from geopolitical instability and funding gaps to outbreaks in regions previously declared polio-free.In a decisive move to counter these escalating threats and inject renewed vigor into the final stages of eradication, Rotary and the Gates Foundation today announced a substantial joint commitment of up to US$450 million for global polio eradication efforts.The pledge was revealed at the annual Rotary International Convention in Calgary, reaffirming a long-standing partnership now more critical than ever.This renewed financial commitment signals an…
The authors argue uterus transplants risk turning women in poorer countries into passive sources of reproductive tissue for wealthier patients.In 2018, doctors in Brazil made history when they transplanted a uterus from a 45-year-old dead woman into a 32-year-old recipient who had been born without one. The woman went on to deliver a healthy baby, marking the world’s first live birth from a deceased-donor uterus.This achievement sparked global excitement about uterus transplantation (UTx) as a treatment for absolute uterine factor infertility.But Kenyan sociologist Dr Patricia Kingori and psychiatrist Dr David Bukusi say the growing interest in harvesting wombs from dead women…
A child receiving routine vaccination. Photo/UnicefWorld leaders pledged support for Gavi, leading to a total of more than US$ 9 billion secured against a targeted US$ 11.9 billion budget for its next five-year strategic period from 2026 to 2030.Gavi is currently the biggest donor buying childhood vaccines for Kenya. However, Kenya is expected to stop receiving Gavi support in 2028.The pledges were made on Thursday at the Global Summit: Health and Prosperity through Immunisation in Brussels.The commitments bring Gavi a major step closer to securing the resources it needs to protect 500 million children from preventable disease, averting between 8-9…
Expectant women at a hospital.THE World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance to help countries adopt and expand midwifery models of care – where midwives serve as the main care provider for women and babies throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.The guidance promotes strong communication and partnership between women and midwives, and offers proven health benefits for both women and their babies. Women who received care from trusted midwives are statistically more likely to experience healthy vaginal births and report higher satisfaction with the services they receive.“Expanding and investing in midwifery models of care is one of the most effective strategies to…
Martin Fitchet, CEO of MMV, gives a speech at the UCL plant in Kikuyu. A batch of life-saving Kenyan-manufactured antimalarial drugs, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SPAQ), is on its way to protect millions of children in Mali.Manufactured by Universal Corporation Limited (UCL), a Kenyan pharmaceutical company based in Kikuyu, the seven million-dose consignment will be the first-ever Global Fund procurement from an African manufacturer.The medicines will be supplied to Mali through the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) programme, which provides key interventions used to protect millions of children under five from malaria each year during the rainy season.Malaria, a life-threatening disease spread to…
Ken Accajou, deputy CEO, CFAO Healthcare and head of English and Portuguese-speaking area Retail.A newly released white paper publication suggests that the use of falsified antimalarials could be causing over 100,000 unnecessary deaths in Africa.The publication by CFAO, a pharmaceutical distributor in Africa, and the OPALS Foundation, also suggests that one in three medicines circulating in Africa may be fake.However, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that only one in 10 medical products in Africa are substandard or falsified. These fake medicines are especially antimalarials and antibiotics.In Kenya, where over 70 per cent of medicines are imported, a fragmented distribution…
KMPDC CEO Dr. David G. Kariuki.At least 728 bogus health facilities have been shut down by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).The regulator said it also downgraded 267 more in a crackdown in five counties aimed at enforcing patient safety and regulatory compliance.KMPDC CEO Dr David Kariuki said most inspected facilities (51 per cent) lacked critical infrastructure such as pharmacy, maternity, or lab space; others had poor sanitation or unregistered staff, issues that trigger closures or downgrades.“Our primary duty is to protect patients,” he said. “We will continue to enforce these regulations firmly and fairly, so that every…
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Geoffrey Ruku comforts a victim of a fire incident that left over 200 people homeless in Mukungu village, Kibra, Nairobi County on June 12, 2025/HANDOUTThe Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Geoffrey Ruku has pledged government support to victims of a fire incident that left over 200 people homeless in Mukungu village, Kibra, Nairobi County.Speaking on Thursday, Ruku said the government will provide emergency relief to affected families.“The government will provide emergency relief aid to the families to assist them in getting their lives back track,” he said.He was accompanied…
The UNFPA says it is other coercive factors making people reduce family size, not their own freewill.Across Kenya, many young parents dream of holding two or three of their own children one day.But they are being pushed by the harsh realities of daily life to drop such plans. Rent is high, food is expensive, and jobs are uncertain.A new UN report reveals that it is not a lack of desire stopping people from starting or expanding families, it is the cost of living.The UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population report, launched in Nairobi on Tuesday, says “this inability of individuals…
President William Ruto enjoys a fun moment when he went to inspect Uhuru Sports Complex Stadium, Embakasi West on June 8, 2025/PCSPresident William Ruto on Sunday inspected Uhuru Sports Complex, Embakasi West.The sports arena has a football pitch, a basketball court, and a convertible court, which can be used for netball, volleyball, and handball. It also has a multipurpose hall to host indoor games like chess and table tennis, among other sports. A boxing ring is also available to hold boxing matches and training sessions.Earlier, the President inspected the ongoing construction of the 2,760-unit Jogoo Road Phase 1 Affordable Housing Project.He…
GavelThe High Court in Nairobi has temporarily suspended a decision by the Ministry of Health to revoke all licenses and clearances related to nicotine and related products, pending the hearing of a constitutional petition filed by Susan Awino.In orders issued on Thursday, Justice Bahati Mwamuye granted conservatory orders, effectively halting the implementation of the Ministry’s directive issued on or around May 31, 2025. The ministry’s directive had suspended existing licenses and import permits for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and promotion of nicotine products and ordered affected parties to reapply for authorisation.The court found that the matter raised substantial constitutional concerns,…
Deaf Outreach Program Director Gloria Njoki during the handing over of uniforms and other volleyball equippments at St Luke’s school for the deaf at Embu County.Deaf Schools in Eastern Kenya have received a major boost in sports development aimed at enhancing learning and promoting inclusion for deaf youth.Through donation from the Deaf Outreach Program (DEAFOP). Three institutions – St Luke’s and Mary Magdalene Schools for the Deaf in Embu County and Machakos School for the Deaf in Machakos County – were equipped with volleyballs, uniforms, nets, knee caps and trained coaches.The initiative seeks to use sports, particularly volleyball, as a…
Kenya faces serious blood shortage. The National Tissue And Organ Transplant Authority says Kenya needs about 510,000 units of blood each year but only collects about 300,000.Japan is the first country to begin human trials of an artificial blood substitute, after earlier tests in 2022 showed the artificial blood is safe. This artificial blood can be used in patients of any blood type. Doctors are giving healthy volunteers the artificial blood made from hemoglobin vesicles – tiny capsules that carry oxygen like real red blood cells. The ongoing clinical trial started in March 2025 at Nara Medical University in Japan. The artificial…
Mark Pfister, Haleon General Manager for sub-Saharan Africa, at the launch in Nairobi.Global health company Haleon has launched its Haleon Pain Management Institute (HPMI) in Kenya, aiming to improve how pain is understood and treated across the country and the wider Sub-Saharan region.The institute will bring together health experts from multiple disciplines to address both the physical and emotional dimensions of pain, especially among vulnerable groups.“What our research is showing is that pain is rarely just physiological. Those living with pain often feel isolated, misunderstood, and worse, unheard,” said Mark Pfister, Haleon General Manager for sub-Saharan Africa. “With a third…
David Gikungu said the month of June will be mostly dry, but will also feature occasional cool and cloudy conditions.The long rains season is officially behind us, and most parts of Kenya can now expect predominantly dry and sunny weather this month, the weatherman has said. Dr David Gikungu, the Director of Meteorological Services, predicted that this month will be “generally dry and sunny conditions for several parts of the country.”However, the month will also feature “occasional cool and cloudy conditions with light rains,” particularly in the Central Highlands, Nairobi area, parts of western Kenya, and the Southeastern lowlands, which refers…
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o/HandoutRenowned Kenyan author, scholar, and activist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o died on Wednesday. His family announced his passing Wednesday evening, May 28, 2025, saying he “lived a full life, fought a good fight.”Ngugi is widely regarded as Kenya’s most influential writer and one of Africa’s leading literary voices. Born in 1938 in Limuru, Kenya, Ngugi has written novels, plays, essays, and memoirs that examine colonialism, post-independence struggles, culture, and language in African societies. His work spans decades and has been translated into many languages, making him a towering figure in global literature. He is best known for his bold…
Prof Violet Naanyu is a social scientist and global bioethicist. Photo/AmpathLeading Kenyan bioethicist Prof Violet Naanyu is one of the 16 experts chosen globally to advise the World Health Organisation on behavioural sciences.Prof Naanyu, a Moi University don who is also a visiting scholar at the Aga Khan University, will serve on the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health for the next two years.The WHO said it chose the 16 from a pool of 340 experts across 71 countries.“This group will provide scientific advice to channel behavioural science evidence into policy to achieve better health outcomes,” WHO said…
Edith Chumba, Head of Wealth & Retail Banking at Standard Chartered./HANDOUT Standard Chartered Bank has launched a new wealth campaign in Kenya, intensifying its focus on affluent clients. The move is part of a global strategy to grow its wealth management business.The bank is investing USD 1.5 billion into its affluent segment over the next five years. This investment will enhance the bank’s competitive edge and strengthen its presence in wealth management.“Our vision focuses on a global affluent continuum, allowing us to seamlessly cater to clients’ financial needs through private banking,” said Edith Chumba, Head of Wealth & Retail Banking at…
The prevalence of type 1 diabetes among children and young people under the age of 20 in Kenya is 23 cases per 100,000.Kenya is among the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) whose children and young people (CYP) face gross inequities when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D). These are some of the key findings of a new Access to Medicine Foundation report. Without sustainable access to diabetes care, such countries are unable to manage this chronic condition, leading to severe outcomes that are entirely preventable, even as global cases of T1D among CYP are…
Health CS Aden Duale is representing Kenya at the meeting in Geneva.Members of of the World Health Organization (WHO), including Kenya, on Tuesday adopted by consensus the world’s first Pandemic Agreement.The landmark decision culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.This is the world’s the second only health treaty after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005.The new WHO Pandemic Agreement was proposed by among others, President Uhuru Kenyatta in May 2021, following the hoarding of…
Results of the study, which involved Kenyan researchers, were published in Science on May 15, 2025.One of the key challenges in HIV vaccine development has been finding a way to train the immune system to produce antibodies that can target many variants of the virus.Traditional approaches have not worked, largely because HIV mutates rapidly and hides key parts of itself from the immune system.Now, a new study combining data from two separate phase 1 clinical trials shows that a targeted vaccine strategy can successfully activate early immune responses relevant to HIV, and, in one trial, further advance them – a…
A family eating together/AI IllustratedAs the world marked the United Nations International Day of Families, a diverse coalition of citizens in the country came together with a unified message that families need protection, not propaganda.In a press statement released on Wednesday, grassroots voices from across the country decried what they termed as rising threats to the dignity, security, and diversity of families in Kenya. The meeting was convened at the Boma Hotel in Nairobi by the Coalition of Grassroots Human Rights Defenders.The coalition called for urgent action to address the real needs of families. The statement, titled “Kenyan Families Deserve…
Participants at the Rotary’s Sunshine rally at the ASK Jamuhuri showground. For children living with disabilities in many parts of the world, the simple joy of a day spent under the warm embrace of the sun is a rare and often missed luxury. Hidden away due to societal stigma or lack of accessible spaces, these children and young people often miss out on the carefree play moments that define childhood. However, for four decades now, an anticipated annual event has become a beacon of hope shining brightly and allowing the children to have fun and engage with their friends through the…
Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo at the Global Media Dialogue held during the inaugural World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, India /HANDOUTInformation, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has expressed Kenya’s position as a creative powerhouse ready to shape a diverse, ethical and forward-looking media landscape.The Cabinet Secretary, who spoke at the Global Media Dialogue held during the inaugural World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, India, highlighted the transformative potential of media and entertainment in driving development, cross-cultural understanding and innovation.“With 44 distinct communities and a rich storytelling tradition—from…
A roll-up banner of the late Kasipul constituency MP Onyango Were at his Karen Home/EZEKIEL AMING’ASlain Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were will be buried on Friday, May 9, in Homa Bay County, the burial committee has announced.According to Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, who is a member of the burial committee, the late MP’s body will be flown to the Kabunde Airstrip(Homa Bay Airport) in Homa Bay and will later be transported by road to his final resting place.”We are still planning on the routes to take from Kabunde Airstrip to give the people of Homa Bay a chance…
Former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i during his Homecoming tour of Kisii and Nyamira Counties on May 2, 2025/HANDOUTFormer Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i made a high-profile return to the public eye on Friday with a grand tour of Kisii and Nyamira counties, drawing massive crowds in a show of political strength and grassroots support.Thousands of enthusiastic residents packed the streets, waving placards and cheering as Matiang’i’s motorcade snaked through bustling market centers.Accompanied by local leaders and allies, Matiang’i addressed brief roadside gatherings, thanking the community for their unwavering support and urging them to remain peaceful and hopeful for the…
The report suggests the low abortion rate in uneducated women may be due to disparities in access to information, contraceptive options, or differing social pressures across educational backgrounds. Image/ AI generated.Women who have never gone to school have the lowest abortion rates in Kenya, at just three percent.This stands in stark contrast to women with secondary education or higher, who account for more than half of all reported abortions.According to the newly released 2025 policy brief titled Exploring the Lived Experiences of Women Who Have Had Abortions in Kenya, an estimated 792,694 induced abortions occurred in Kenya in 2023.This is…
Rotary International Trustee Dr. Greeta Manek: “We are committed to global advocacy because a single case of polio anywhere in the world means the virus is just a plane ride away—posing a threat to everyone, everywhere.” Abdalla Ndalukaria was diagnosed with Polio in 1987, a year after his birth, robbing him of a chance to enjoy his childhood playing with his peers.When he didn’t crawl or try to stand using furniture in the house when he was a few months shy of his first birthday, this delayed milestone worried his mother, and a few hospital visits later, she was informed that…
The Judiciary has responded to a report published by a local daily on April 25, 2025, concerning a land dispute involving 90-year-old Ms. Cheptanui Rotich in Kapcherop, Elgeyo Marakwet County.The article, titled “The Justice System Has Failed Me,” highlighted Ms. Rotich’s struggle to reclaim 44 acres of land despite favourable court rulings.In a press statement issued on the same day, the Judiciary Spokesperson, Paul Ndemo, expressed sympathy for Ms. Rotich and acknowledged the challenges she has faced.”The Judiciary empathises deeply with Ms. Rotich and acknowledges the significant challenges she has faced in enforcing court decisions affirming her legal rights and…
Former Kenyan presidential candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida/FILETwo-time presidential candidate Mwalimu Mohammed Abduba Dida is a free man after serving a 3-year jail term in the United States of America.Dida was expected to leave the facility on April 3, 2029, after he was initially sentenced to 7 years, however, he was released on parole.Being “released on parole” means a prisoner is conditionally released from prison before their sentence is fully served, to serve the remainder of their sentence in the community under supervision.According to records from the Big Muddy Correctional Facility in Illinois, Mwalimu Dida walked to freedom on March 3,…
Although selling body organs is illegal in Kenya, this law is poorly implemented. In Kenya, selling your kidney or any other human organ is strictly prohibited under Part XI of the Health Act No. 21 of 2017.This part of the law comprehensively addresses the regulation of human organs, blood, tissues, and gametes (such as sperm or egg). The legislation was established to protect human dignity, prevent exploitation, and ensure that organ donation is carried out ethically and safely. Importantly, the Act also sets heavy penalties for any violations.The Health Act clearly prohibits any form of commercialisation of human organs and tissues.…
Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, Defence CS Soipan Tuya, Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, President William Ruto and Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina during an Easter Sunday Service at Ntulele, Narok county on April 20, 2025/PCSPresident William Ruto is attending the Easter Sunday church service at Ntulele in Narok County, joined by several Maa leaders.Accompanying the president are Governors Patrick Ole Ntutu (Narok) and Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado). Others are Defence CS Soipan Tuya and Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina.President William Ruto received by his hosts for Easter Sunday Prayer Service in Ntulele, Narok county on April 20, 2025/PCSA host…