Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa Hands Over Health Ministry to Hon. Aden Duale, Reflecting on Key Healthcare Achievements
Nairobi, Kenya - On , 2025, Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa officially handed over the Ministry of Health to Hon. Aden Duale after serving for eight months. During the handover ceremony in Nairobi, Dr. Barasa highlighted significant milestones in Kenya’s healthcare reforms.
Under her leadership, the Ministry introduced four critical health laws, including the Social Health Insurance Act and the Digital Health Act, which laid the foundation for advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Notably, Social Health Insurance (SHI) membership surged by 163%, reaching 21 million members, and Ksh. 31.6 billion was collected by the Social Health Authority (SHA), with Ksh. 24 billion allocated to settle claims.
Dr. Barasa also emphasized progress in community health, with over 107,000 health promoters trained, and improvements in digital health systems. The restructuring of the National Equipment Service Programme led to agreements with 45 counties to equip over 500 facilities, while the local production of medical supplies rose, with Kenyan suppliers now providing over 60% of KEMSA’s medical products.
Infrastructure projects, including cancer centers in key regions and the ongoing construction of 19 Level-4 hospitals, were also highlighted as key achievements. Dr. Barasa concluded by expressing confidence in the Ministry’s preparedness to tackle disease outbreaks and her appreciation for the Ministry’s staff. She welcomed Hon. Duale to continue driving the healthcare agenda.