Glasgow, Scotland

President Uhuru Kenyatta was on Tuesday morning briefed on the progress of the implementation of Kenya-UK Health Alliance (KUKHA) on the sidelines of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

The KUKHA leaders briefed Uhuruon the KUKHA broad strategic partnership, including the roll-out of the Jomo Kenyatta Scholarship Programme and the building of a state-of-the-art training centre at Kisii University. 

The scholarship is a specialised medical training and capacity enhancement programme that will see Kenyan medics trained in the UK in a variety of specialised medical fields.


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It will also provide for exchange of postgraduate medical students between Kenya and the UK for mutual benefit in research and healthcare service delivery, including oesophagus and breast cancers which are rampant in Kenya.

The training centre at Kisii University will be a regional hub for healthcare research, innovation and training of advanced level medical staff for Kenya and the wider region.


The KUKHA programmes in Kenya include the ongoing establishment of an oncology centre of excellence at the Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTTRH).

President Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta only last week officially launched a world-class imaging facility at KUTRRH in Kiambu County installed through the programme.


In September, KUKHA hosted Health PS Susan Mochache in the UK where the two sides agreed to expand the partnership to include a mental health component to cover workforce exchange and set up a new mental health facility for young persons aged under 18 in Kenya.

The President, who was flanked at the meeting by Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK, Manoah Esipisu, and State House Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Policy, Ruth Kagia, assured KUKHA of Kenya’s commitment to ensure the success of the crucial partnership.


Kisii Governor James Ongwae, who initiated the KUKHA deal, lauded Uhuru for driving the initiative saying it will aid counties to fast track the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) pillar of the Government's Big 4 Agenda.

Ongwae added that KUKHA was intent on also engaging other universities, research institutions and medical training centres in the Lake Victoria basin region on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to benefit many more Kenyans.