Why the rising healthcare spending has failed to heal a country on its sickbed
Health & Science
By
Maryann Muganda
| May 01, 2026
Kenya remains a sick nation despite increased government investment in health services, as both national and county governments raise expenditure amid continued expansion of facilities, rising demand for care, and shifting disease patterns.
According to the latest Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2026, national government expenditure on health services rose by 22.8 per cent to Sh150.9 billion, while county governments’ spending increased by 23.3 per cent to Sh133.4 billion.
On paper, this signals stronger fiscal commitment to health. In reality, however, the country’s disease burden and pressure on hospitals continue to outpace the gains being made in financing and infrastructure.
The data suggests that much of the new funding is going into sustaining an already strained system rather than significantly expanding capacity.
The total health expenditure is projected to increase by 22.8 per cent to Sh150.9 billion in 2025/26 financial year, with recurrent expenditure rising to Sh111 billion.
The proportion of health expenditure to total government expenditure is expected to increase marginally from three per cent in 2024/25 financial year to 3.5 per cent in 2025/26.
The recurrent costs — salaries, medicines, utilities and hospital operations — leave limited room for expansion and long-term investments.
While the increase in overall spending is notable, it remains far below the Abuja Declaration target of 15 per cent, raising questions about whether Kenya is investing enough to match its rising disease burden.
The expansion in spending has led to growth in infrastructure, but not at a pace that can significantly ease pressure on the system.
The number of operational health facilities increased by 4.6 per cent to 16,713 in 2025, largely driven by Level 3 facilities, which rose from 3,518 to 4,172.
Higher-level facilities also recorded commendable growth, with Level 4 facilities rising to 1,188, Level 5 to 37 and Level 6 to seven. However, Level 2 facilities slightly declined.
Hospital capacity has also improved, with beds increasing by five per cent to 106,300 and cots by 8.3 per cent to 12,200.
The Economic Survey data on disease burden paints a picture of a health system under persistent pressure from both infectious and emerging chronic conditions.
Total reported disease cases stood at 79.5 million in 2025, only a small decline from 79.6 million in 2024.
Respiratory diseases remained the leading cause of illness, accounting for 15.4 million cases, though the infections has fluctuated over time. Malaria presents a more worrying trend, with cases surging from 3.8 million in 2024 to 14.3 million in 2025.
“Malaria cases declined from 14,331,877 (15.2 per cent) in 2021 to 3,780,126 (4.7 per cent) in 2024 before surging again to 14,336,617 (18 per cent) in 2025, signalling persistent transmission challenges and possible resurgence in high-burden regions,” the survey says.
Diseases of the skin declined from 3,664,898 (3.9 per cent) in 2021 to 3,109,369 (3.9 per cent) in 2025, while diarrhoeal diseases dropped more sharply from 3,259,417 (3.4 per cent) to 1,335,063 (1.7 per cent), pointing to improvement in sanitation and public health interventions.
Rheumatism and joint pains increased from 550,522 (0.6 per cent) to 2,258,374 (2.8 per cent), while eye infections rose from 1,301,895 (1.4 per cent) to 2,548,965 (3.2 per cent), indicating a growing burden of non-communicable and age-related conditions.
Hypertension also showed a gradual rise from 1,405,298 (1.5 per cent) in 2021 to 1,562,124 (two per cent) in 2025, reinforcing the increasing presence of lifestyle-related diseases.