I leave Health ministry with my head held high – Nakhumicha

During the handover at Afya House, Nakhumicha said that she leaves the docket having implemented reforms to boost the health sector in Kenya. 

Among the reforms that the former CS boasts off is the introduction of Community Health Promoters, where over 100, 000 professionals have since been trained on providing basic medical care. 

“We did a very good job. I leave with my head [held] very high. As I walk out of MoH, I am happy with 107k CHPs trained and kitted,” Nakhumicha said. 

The former CS also boasted of reforms in the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), which had previously been rocked with procurement fraud in medical supplies. 

“When we came in, there was a dark cloud hanging around KEMSA, but I leave when we have managed to do some work. We put in place a new board and governance structure. We were able to increase stock availability,” she stated. 

Nakhumicha also boasted of operationalizing the Kenya BioVax Institute that was established in 2021. 

However, the CS expressed regrets in failures by the health ministry during her tenure, describing them as ‘unintended consequences.’

“I really regret the time the doctors were on strike. It was a low moment for us as a ministry. Having to see that there are patients who need to be served and there are no doctors to serve them. That was really a low moment for me,” she said. 

Nakhumicha further advised her predecessor to abide by constitutional provisions, existing laws and ministry policies for a smooth tenure. 

On her part, Mulongo opined that Nakhumicha’s scorecard in the ministry is notable, promising to follow through the foundations she laid. 

“I can't wait to see Kenyans are covered under SHA. Our main challenge was resources, we had plans but we didn’t have enough challenges,” said the Health CS. 

She urged the public to register to the Social Health Authority (SHA) to avoid last minute rush as the launch date is set for October 1, 2024.