MPs raise concern over Kenya’s preparedness for Ebola

Lawmakers have raised concern over Kenya’s preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks following recent Ebola cases reported in parts of the region.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Health Committee, Khwisero Member of Parliament Christopher Aseka questioned whether the Ministry of Health was adequately prepared to handle a possible Ebola outbreak.

“Is the Ministry prepared for Ebola, noting the outbreak?” posed Aseka.

Health Committee Chairperson James Nyikal urged the Ministry to provide Parliament with a comprehensive national response plan to deal with the threat.

“The Ministry should provide a response plan for Ebola,” he said.

The Health Committee report indicates that the government has allocated Ksh700 million towards the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Programme for procurement and installation of emergency response equipment.

Budget Committee Chair Samuel Atandi, who met the Departmental Committee on Health to review the proposed 2026/27 budget estimates maintained that strengthening healthcare financing, improving staffing levels and enhancing disease preparedness were critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage and safeguarding public health.

MP Nyikal said that national referral facilities were under immense strain due to inadequate human resource allocations despite increased demand for specialized healthcare services.

“Our national referral facilities are suffering particularly in the area of human resource. Even if we get some additional funding for each referral hospital, particularly teaching hospitals like Kenyatta, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, it would help,” said Nyikal.

The Health Committee budget report shows that the health sector has been allocated Ksh 175.5 billion in the 2026/27 financial year, representing 7.29pc of the national budget.

Budget Committee Vice Chair, Robert Pukose emphasized the need for stable financing of public health facilities, noting that over 70 per cent of Kenyans depend on public hospitals for treatment.

“Over 70 per cent of Kenyans visit public hospitals. We need the Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority to institute a predictable and time-bound reimbursement mechanism for healthcare facilities, with priority given to public health institutions whose operations heavily depend on SHA reimbursements as Appropriations-in-Aid,” said Pukose.

He added that timely settling of verified claims would improve operations in public hospitals and resolve pending bills and interruptions in service delivery.

The Budget Committee  further noted that the State Department for Medical Services is grappling with a funding gap with key areas affected include the Social Health Authority funds, personnel costs, cancer interventions and critical health infrastructure projects.