Health Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Health & Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, has assured Kenyans that the government will reinstate the Linda Mama program, a free maternity initiative aimed at supporting the poor and vulnerable by enhancing maternal services.
Muthoni announced that the program will be integrated into the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and improved to provide better maternal care. Under the revamped initiative, mothers undergoing normal deliveries will receive Sh11,000, an increase from the previous Sh4,000, while those delivering via caesarean section will benefit from Sh32,000, up from Sh17,000.
“Linda Mama will be part of SHIF and all mothers should be at ease because its coming back bigger and better. Mothers will not be buying some of the commodities they are asked to buy during delivery, they will simply only be required to present themselves for delivery,” said PS Muthoni.
“We will not scrap off things that are beneficial to Kenyans and especially our mothers and children,” assured Muthoni.
The Linda Mama program has been providing expectant mothers with a one-year coverage that includes four antenatal visits, delivery (either normal or by Caesarean section), three postnatal care visits, and vaccinations for the child.
In 2013, the government launched a Free Maternity Scheme that eliminated user fees at public primary care facilities, making all deliveries in the public sector free of charge. However, since the Kenya Kwanza administration took office, there has been speculation that the program has been discontinued.
Speaking at Jesus Winner Ministry along Thika Road yesterday, Muthoni clarified that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) remains operational until the successful rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
“NHIF is still in force until when we will roll out to SHIF. If you have an NHIF card, continue using and contributing to it. However, I urge Kenyans to continue registering for SHIF in readiness for roll-out,” she said.
The program, launched by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013, aimed to alleviate the financial burden on pregnant women by providing services based on need rather than the ability to pay, contributing to the goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya.
However, following President William Ruto’s administration’s announcement to abolish the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), many expectant mothers found themselves vulnerable due to the lack of an alternative support model.
The Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), along with the Primary Health Care Act and the Digital Health Act, was intended to replace the NHIF but was declared unconstitutional by a three-judge bench of the High Court last month. However, this bench later suspended its decision to nullify the health acts after the Attorney General’s office argued that doing so would create a gap in the health sector.
Meanwhile, PS Muthoni announced that Kenya is now free from Mpox after the sole case was treated and the infected individual was repatriated to their country of origin.
Kenya confirmed its first and only case of Mpox late last month at the Taita Taveta border post with Tanzania, where the virus was detected in a person traveling from Uganda to Rwanda via Kenya. Mpox is caused by the Monkeypox virus and spreads through close contact, resulting in flu-like symptoms and a painful rash, with some cases being mild while others can be fatal.
