Kenya’s position as a regional leader in health system innovation was reinforced on Monday after Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga hosted a high-level delegation from Zimbabwe. The team, led by Dr. Benson Martins Dube, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice President and the Cabinet of Zimbabwe, visited Nairobi to study Kenya’s ambitious health sector reforms and explore opportunities for shared learning between the two countries.
The visit comes at a time when African governments are increasingly looking to strengthen health financing, improve service delivery, and modernise infrastructure in the wake of rising population needs and the lessons drawn from recent global health crises. Kenya’s reforms under the Social Health Authority (SHA), the overhaul of state-led supply chain systems, and rapid strides in digital health integration have drawn widespread interest across the continent.
During the meeting, Zimbabwean officials expressed particular interest in Kenya’s progress under the SHA model, which is restructuring how health services are financed and accessed. The model aims to ensure that all citizens can benefit from predictable, sustainable, and equitable health coverage, with a strong emphasis on financial protection and improved quality of care. The delegation sought insights on implementation frameworks, governance structures, and transition strategies from existing insurance schemes to the new system.
Dr. Oluga said Kenya’s commitment to universal health coverage has driven a series of reforms designed to strengthen the entire health delivery chain. He noted that the SHA model is intended to address longstanding gaps in access, affordability, and efficiency while promoting accountability within the public health financing ecosystem. “Our reforms are centred on ensuring that every Kenyan has access to quality healthcare without facing financial hardship,” he said during the engagement.
The Zimbabwean delegation was also briefed on Kenya’s efforts to strengthen the health workforce, an area that has been central to the government’s broader health transformation agenda. Kenya has invested in expanding training capacity, modernising medical education, and increasing deployment to underserved regions. Officials outlined ongoing reforms to improve staffing ratios, enhance continuous professional development, and create clear career progression pathways for healthcare workers.
Health workforce strengthening has become a critical issue across Africa, as many countries confront shortages of medical personnel, migration of specialised staff, and rising pressure from demographic change. Zimbabwe’s interest in Kenya’s strategies reflects shared challenges that both countries are seeking to address through policy reform, institutional development, and targeted financing.
The delegation also reviewed Kenya’s improvements in Health Products and Technologies management under the National Essential Supplies Programme (NESP) and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). In recent years, Kenya has been implementing reforms aimed at improving procurement efficiency, reducing stockouts, enhancing supply-chain transparency, and modernising warehouse and distribution systems.
These reforms have sought to stabilise availability of essential medicines across counties, reduce wastage, and strengthen accountability in areas historically affected by inefficiencies. Kenya has also moved to integrate digital supply-chain monitoring tools to enable real-time visibility of stock levels and streamline coordination between national and county governments.
Officials highlighted the role of KEMSA’s restructuring efforts in reinforcing public confidence in the national supply chain system. Zimbabwean representatives asked questions regarding governance reforms, digital tracking, and quality assurance processes, noting the potential for adopting similar systems within their health sector.
Another central element of the discussions was Kenya’s Digital Health Superhighway, an initiative that aims to integrate data systems across facilities, standardise electronic medical records, and enable seamless information flow across various points of care. Dr. Oluga explained that the Superhighway is designed to support clinical decision-making, reduce duplication of services, and ensure that essential patient information can be accessed efficiently while safeguarding privacy and data security.
Digital transformation has become a cornerstone of Kenya’s health sector reform agenda, aligning with broader national strategies to modernise public services. The delegation was briefed on Kenya’s digital health architecture, interoperability standards, and ongoing collaborations with technology partners to scale up the initiative nationwide.
Zimbabwe’s interest in the Digital Health Superhighway reflects growing recognition among African governments of the role technology plays in improving efficiency, transparency, and health outcomes. With rising demand for data-driven decision-making, both countries explored avenues for potential collaboration in digital capacity-building and technology transfer.
Dr. Oluga welcomed the Zimbabwean delegation’s interest, emphasising that regional cooperation is vital to strengthening Africa’s resilience in health security, workforce development, and technological advancement. He noted that sharing lessons across African health systems can accelerate progress, reduce duplication of effort, and help countries adapt reforms to their own contexts.
Kenya’s health system has been recognised as the second most responsive and resilient in Africa, a ranking that has contributed to its reputation as a regional benchmark for reform and innovation. This recognition has drawn increasing numbers of delegations from across the continent seeking to study Kenya’s health financing, governance, and digital transformation models.
Analysts say the interest reflects not only Kenya’s progress in reforming key institutions such as SHA and KEMSA, but also the country’s broader policy emphasis on universal access and system resilience. Kenya’s reforms are often characterised by a whole-of-system approach, combining financing changes with workforce, supply chain, digital, and governance reforms aimed at structural improvement rather than isolated interventions.
The Zimbabwean visit represents a continuation of growing cooperation between African states working to enhance health system performance. Zimbabwe has embarked on its own reform journey aimed at improving financing, strengthening primary healthcare, and modernising key institutions. Learning from Kenya’s experience offers an opportunity to adopt relevant strategies while shaping reforms suited to Zimbabwe’s national priorities.
Both countries expressed intention to continue engaging beyond the visit, with potential areas for future collaboration including technical exchange, joint training programmes, and support for digital health implementation. Officials noted that regional partnerships will play a central role in strengthening African health systems as they respond to rising disease burdens, shifting demographics, and increased demand for quality care.
The meeting concluded with commitments to deepen cooperation and sustain dialogue on common health sector challenges. As Kenya consolidates its role as a regional reference point for health system strengthening, exchanges with countries such as Zimbabwe are expected to continue shaping the continent’s broader reform landscape.
