Health summit 2026 and Duale's icing on cake

Health CS Aden Duale

A press briefing dubbed ‘ask your government anything on healthcare’ in Nairobi last Tuesday offered critical reflections on the role of journalists in advancing public health.

The forum was a prelude to the August 18 Kenya Health Summit 2026, where the government hopes to build consensus on a roadmap for ‘what’s next’ for the sector as Vision 2060 kicks in.

Ahead of the conference, the Ministry of Health is bullish about its achievements, and it’s putting numbers on the table.

Since 2024, the Social Health Authority (SHA) has received Sh164 billion in claims, 469,000 surgeries have been undertaken, 1.4 million deliveries recorded, 1,700 community health workers recruited and Sh7.5 billion arrears paid to doctors.

The data is inexhaustible!

As Cabinet Secretary Aden  Duale, Principal Secretaries Mary Muthoni and Ouma Oluga, Director-General Patrick Amoth and Council of Governors CEO Mary Mwiti fielded questions at the Tuesday briefing, the media was hailed as an important ‘checkpoint’ in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

But that powerful recognition didn’t mean the Fourth Estate was getting a free pass. Ministry officials promptly took issues with journalists for dressing up good content in negative headlines.

They gave examples where, in their view, headlines told a different story from the content buried underneath it.

Journalists, on their part, felt the approval and sharing of information like data on cancer and mental health, take far too long.

To rectify this, Mr Duale said the ministry would centralise its communications such that media inquiries would be handled by one unit across directorates, departments and parastatals.

The CS, meanwhile, used the forum to challenge his teams not to ‘fear’ journalists, even when the headlines bite.

“Headlines don’t have to be positive. Go watch CNN and Al Jazeera. Look at what Mr Donald Trump has to deal with every day. It’s not just a Kenyan problem,” Mr Duale quipped.

The climax of the meeting, however, was perhaps Mr Duale’s fierce defence of journalists after Social Health Authority (SHA) CEO Mercy Mwangangi challenged reporters, in a rather emotional bold speak, to make use of data and ask ‘intelligent’ questions.

“Dr Mwangangi should have told you to ask factual questions, not intelligent questions. I apologise,” the CS said. But the SHA boss wasn’t going to easily back down. “It’s not just a matter of writing headlines. You should be involved to get a clear picture of how these processes work,” she said.

One intelligent question (hoping Dr Mwangangi agrees) came from my good friend, Ms Linda Bach, CEO of the Kenya Editors Guild.

She asked whether reforms under Kenya Kwanza had translated into better experiences for patients in facilities across the nation, or were simply theoretical success stories.

Listening from the audience alongside seasoned colleagues Andy Kagwa, Gathenya Njaramba and Sam Njogu, I was struck by Mr Duale’s ‘bombshell’ that key officials driving critical decisions are rarely interviewed or quoted by local media houses.

Newsrooms, he said, are comfortable “using my photo without caring to reach out to the real people wo make important decisions.”

In other words, his face gets the headlines while the people running important dockets, for instance the Digital Health Agency, chew blackout or remain perpetually invisible.

The CS also highlighted the benefits of appearing on media talk shows and granting interviews.

“Coverage is good whether negative or positive,” the CS said.

That’s true but it’s hardly the attitude reporters encounter. Too often, officials love the media when it’s singing their praises and suddenly discover the ‘perils’ when questions become too hot. He says media doesn’t have to be friendly to be useful.

What I failed to understand, however, was why journalists in the room were upset by Dr Mwangangi’s legitimate reminder to ask intelligent questions.

A reminder isn’t an indictment. How else do you deal with cases where some actors in the media can’t tell the difference between SHA and SHIF? The media needs more friends like Mr Duale and Dr Mwangangi, who offer candid feedback in plain speak. They certainly put the icing on the media cake.

 -The writer is a communications practitioner. X:@markoloo