President Ruto announces full government funding for maternity care in Kenya
via Tuko2 min read
President William Ruto announced that the Kenyan government will fully fund maternity care for expectant mothers, covering all costs from the first clinic visit through delivery and the postnatal period. The President made this declaration on Thursday, July 23, during a meeting with Nairobi Jua Kali artisans at State House. He stated that the government has tripled the maternity budget from the previous KSh 4,000 allocation per birth, aiming to ensure safe and dignified births and prevent the loss of mothers and children due to inadequate resources or medical care. Ruto also lightheartedly cautioned fathers against misusing the free maternity program as an excuse to neglect family planning responsibilities.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Tuko.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has publicly supported Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, refuting claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that Kanja faked his tertiary education credentials. Murkomen made these remarks at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi during a police forensics event. He affirmed that neither parliament nor the public had presented credible grounds for Kanja's removal, highlighting Kanja's professional conduct since assuming office. Murkomen attributed Gachagua's attacks to personal grievances, noting Gachagua's own constitutional removal from office. The CS assured Kenyans of Kanja's competence and fitness for the role, stating that the Inspector General was fully in charge and the work of the National Police Service was progressing. Murkomen also emphasized that Kanja's appointment followed due process, having been identified by President William Ruto and vetted by Parliament, and that no public petition against him had emerged. Kanja assumed leadership of the National Police Service in 2024 after the resignation of former Inspector General Japheth Koome.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives KNUNM has issued a seven-day nationwide strike notice, stating that nurses and midwives will begin industrial action on July 29, 2026, if their demands are not met. The union, through General Secretary Seth Panyako, sent the notice to various government offices, including the Ministry of Health and the Public Service Commission. Key grievances, which KNUNM claims have been unresolved for over a decade, include stalled negotiations for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement, failure to implement the 2017 Return-to-Work Agreement, and delays in processing payroll for Universal Health Coverage staff. The union also demands the implementation of Career Guidelines for Nursing Personnel and the reinstatement of 46 nurses dismissed by the County Government of Kisii in 2021. KNUNM has instructed branch officials to mobilize members for the strike, which could significantly disrupt healthcare services across Kenya if the issues are not addressed within the specified timeframe.
Must ReadA video shows heavily armed police officers escorting a tourist convoy through Isiolo Town, where streets were blocked by protesters. This footage emerged days after businesswoman Angelina Kananu, 49, was fatally shot near the Isiolo main bus stage on July 20. The incident sparked protests with residents demanding arrests and highlighting a rise in violent crime. The video gained wider attention following former deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's travel alert on July 19, urging tourists to postpone visiting Kenya due to insecurity. Immediate former government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura criticized Gachagua's remarks, asserting Kenya's safety and stability. Gachagua defended his warning, stating his concern for the tourism sector and the potential long-term damage from incidents involving tourists.