By Rodney Alubokho
Kenya’s road to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been welcomed these past few years, particularly due to the new hospitals and healthcare facilities being built across the counties. These are measures intended to cover the gap in access to healthcare, especially for marginalized groups. But behind these new buildings stands an uncomfortable reality: the healthcare workers who are supposed to bring this dream to reality are drowning in neglect.
In the last one month, Kenya has been experiencing a worrying incidence of distress among the healthcare workers. Trends of burnout, depression, and even suicides among doctors and medical workers are no longer exceptions. The nationwide doctors’ strike that commenced in March and lasted throughout April highlighted profound fissures within the system. Poor pay, inadequate equipment, and being worked to exhaustion are the reasons cited by healthcare workers for their mental health issues.
Missing from our implementation of UHC is the human component. If a system builds hospitals without guaranteeing the well-being of those operating them, it falls short. And the reach extends further than many people can envision—particularly into the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) sector. Adolescents and youth, who are already encountering extensive barriers to SRHR services, are the most vulnerable if healthcare providers are too busy or unavailable to provide them.
Take the example of Dr. Desree Moraa Obwogi, who passed away by suicide in September 2024. Her demise is still fresh in the memories of many. Even after that incident, there was no significant change. A month later, Dr. Francis Njuki also reportedly ended his life, alleging mental fatigue and financial pressures. These are not mere individual tragedies; they are an indicator of systemic failure.
Kenya cannot sacrifice its health workers to pursue UHC. A healthy caregiver is at the heart of realizing any healthcare target, including SRHR. If healthcare providers are themselves stressed and compromised emotionally and mentally, how will they possibly direct adolescents with respect to vital services like contraception, obstetric care, or post-abortion counseling?
The government must look beyond buildings. It needs to invest in the health and well-being of healthcare workers—through equitable pay, psychosocial protection, and proper staffing—to be true to the promise of UHC. Only then are we able to make available a system that benefits everyone, even the most vulnerable among us.
Written by: Rodney Alubokho | Youth Advocate | NAYA
