President William Ruto has defended his administration’s decision to replace the Linda Mama healthcare programme, saying the move was not about discarding what had been established but about creating a stronger, more comprehensive system.
Speaking during a public event in Kajiado, Ruto responded to criticism from former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who had earlier accused the government of undermining gains made under Linda Mama. The programme, launched during the Jubilee era, was intended to provide free maternal health services to women across the country.
Ruto insisted that while Linda Mama had been a step in the right direction, it was limited in scope. He argued that the new model—now packaged as Linda Jamii—is designed to go further by extending coverage to entire families. “Linda Mama was good; Linda Jamii is obviously better,” the President said, noting that the scheme caters not only for mothers but also their spouses and children, and includes the entire maternal cycle from prenatal to postnatal care.
The President claimed that the improvements had already produced visible results, pointing to figures showing that the number of beneficiaries had grown significantly. According to him, while the earlier programme reached roughly 2,500 people, the new system now serves between 10,000 and 30,000 beneficiaries, a sign of wider adoption and impact.
Ruto also urged his political supporters to be magnanimous in their criticism of Kenyatta, acknowledging that Linda Mama was a valuable foundation but stressing that his administration had built on it. “We simply built something better,” he said.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale backed the President’s remarks, revealing that Linda Mama had already accumulated heavy debts by the time the Kenya Kwanza administration came into office. He cited an outstanding bill of KSh 5 billion, which included KSh 4.8 billion in unpaid inpatient claims and another KSh 306 million in outpatient arrears.
Duale added that since the rollout of Linda Jamii under the new Social Health Authority, more than 17.5 million Kenyans had visited over 10,000 health facilities, with 12.5 million of them accessing free medical services. He argued that these numbers reflect a significant improvement in access to healthcare compared to the previous programme.
Uhuru Kenyatta, however, has remained critical, saying that scrapping Linda Mama in favour of what he called “untested and unproven” systems was unnecessary and risky. He warned that the changes were undermining the progress made in maternal healthcare, leaving some Kenyans worse off in the transition.
The exchange between the two leaders has once again put Kenya’s health policy at the centre of political debate. While Ruto insists his government has enhanced a programme that was already working, Kenyatta maintains that the dismantling of Linda Mama was a mistake. The contrasting views highlight the tensions between continuity and reform, and the challenges of balancing politics with the urgent need to provide accessible healthcare to millions of Kenyans.
IMAGE : HIVISASA
