Health Sector

The Constitution of Kenya under the Bill of Rights puts a heavy responsibility on the State to ensure equitable, affordable and quality health care to all citizens. The right to health as espoused under the Constitution refers to the highest attainable standards and in so doing obligates the state to surpass internationally set standards.

The Health Sector in Kenya is a shared function between the National and County Governments. The National Government is charged with developing the National Health Policy and management of national referral health facilities while the County Governments are charged with the provision and management of health services at the county level.

The 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) indicates an increase in corruption in Kenya. Corruption continues to affect basic service delivery systems like health, where more than a third of Kenya’s annual GDP is is lost. The 2017 East Africa Bribery Index (EABI) also signifies that corruption in the form of bribery continues to be rife in the Medical and Health Services, identified as among the top ten most prevalent sectors in regard to bribery. Reporting bribery incidences also remains very low with an overwhelming majority (94%) of Kenyans who were surveyed indicating that they encountered bribery but did not report to any authority or person. Health services are among the biggest priority services by citizens that the government should focus on for service delivery, majority of citizens were unable to access information from county governments.

To address the challenges impeding realisation of the Right to Health, the A4T project promotes adherence to the National Values and Principles of Governance as espoused under Article 10 of the Constitutions and especially: Participation of the People; Good Governance, Integrity, Transparency and Accountability.

How does the A4T Project enhance Transparency, Accountability and Participation in the Health sector?

Enhancing Transparency through enabling access to health centres’ budgetary information through the A4T platforms that have been enhanced to enable easier access using your mobile phone;
Promoting Participation of the people by creating awareness on Rights and Responsibilities of citizens and the duty bearers including on budgetary and audit processes;
Enhancing Accountability by providing citizens with platforms for anonymously reporting and whistleblowing on suspected corruption at health centres as well as empowering citizens to conduct social audits to determine the extent to which resources are being effectively utilised;
Promoting Good Governance by engaging public officials and policy makers on the policy and administrative issues requiring reforms;
Promoting integrity by creating awareness among members of the community on their rights and responsibilities as responsible citizens to ensure proper use of public resources;