President William Ruto launches the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre (NADC) at the SHA headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi. [David Gichuru, Standard]
I have been following Kenya's healthcare journey for years, and I must say, the challenges we face today are not just statistics on a page—they are stories of mothers losing children to preventable diseases, of families bankrupted by cancer treatment, of rural clinics turning away patients because there is simply no one to treat them. These are human stories, and they demand human solutions.
While the country has made considerable progress in expanding access to healthcare, it still faces significant gaps in financing, infrastructure, specialised care, medical technology and human resources. These challenges are becoming more urgent as the population grows and the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases.
This is where the growing relationship between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates presents an opportunity that deserves much more attention. Healthcare cooperation between the two countries is already moving beyond diplomatic statements. In January 2025, Kenya’s Ministry of Health and the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening the partnership in healthcare, drawing on the UAE’s successes in the sector. Key areas include vaccine production, the expansion of primary healthcare services through the CHP programme, and strategies to enhance Universal Health Coverage (UHC), particularly through improving the stockage of essential health products and technologies to address critical healthcare needs in Kenya.
At the heart of this partnership is the UAE government’s recent confirmation of a $1 billion investment to integrate artificial intelligence into Kenya's digital health and agriculture sectors. This initiative replicates the technological framework currently used in facilities regulated by the Dubai Health Authority and the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi.
For Kenyan-based health tech startups, this capital allocation provides a pipeline to scale AI diagnostics and electronic medical record platforms. Kenyan health providers will use these funds to address gaps in rural clinical delivery and remote patient monitoring.
More recently, the UAE, through the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, was among the donors of the USD 80 million (Sh10.4 billion) Beginnings Fund aimed at slashing maternal and newborn mortality rates. The partnership, signed between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Fund, channels catalytic funding into the health workforce, essential medicines and technologies, referral networks and health information systems, while reinforcing strategies already in motion under Kenya’s UHC reforms and Taifa Care.