Written By Michelle Ndaga
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, has announced a sweeping shift in the government’s health and youth empowerment strategy, positioning prevention and innovation at the heart of national development.
Speaking on Radio47’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Muthoni said the Ministry of Health is fast-tracking the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA), a key pillar of Universal Health Coverage aimed at ensuring affordable and equitable access to care for every Kenyan.
She said the government is redirecting focus from hospital-based treatment to community-level prevention, arguing that empowering citizens to take charge of their health will save lives and reduce costs. “We are building a healthcare model that begins in villages and homes, not hospitals,” she said.
The PS revealed that community health promoters will play a central role in early disease detection, health education, and household-level care, calling them “the frontline soldiers of a healthier nation.”
Beyond health, Muthoni announced the rollout of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (#NYOTA) programme, which targets more than 820,000 young people with training, mentorship, and seed funding to start enterprises.
She described the initiative as “a revolution in youth empowerment,” saying it would turn Kenya’s youth into job creators rather than job seekers. “Through #NYOTA, we are unlocking the creativity and enterprise of young people as the engine of national progress,” she said.
Registration for the programme is open through *254#, with Muthoni urging young Kenyans to seize the opportunity to “build health, wealth, and hope for the future.”
