Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has defended the government’s decision to scrap the Linda Mama maternity programme, saying it has been expanded into a more inclusive health scheme.

Speaking on Saturday, September 27, 2025, during the Economic Empowerment Engagement in Wajir, Kindiki said some leaders were misrepresenting the changes in the health sector for political gain.

“Na mimi nataka niungane na viongozi amabo wameongea hapa. Kwa sababu kuna watu wengi wanaleta mzaha kwa hii maneno ya afya a umma. Na wanaongea kiholela. Na hawataki kusema ya kwamba hapo mbeleni hatujakuwa na msingi dhabiti wa afya,” Kindiki said.

He acknowledged the role of previous governments in laying the foundation for maternal health programmes. He credited former President Uhuru Kenyatta and then Deputy President William Ruto for starting Linda Mama, which provided free maternity care for pregnant women across the country.

“Sisi tunashukuru yale yalifanya na serikali za zamani. Ile mambo rais William Ruto, saa ile alikuwa deputy President walianzisha na rais Uhuru Kenyatta. Wakaanzisha mradi wa Linda Mama,” he said.

Linda Jamii

Kindiki added that the new programme does not discard Linda Mama but builds on it. He explained that the current government had broadened the scheme to cover more groups in society.

“Sasa hii programme mpya, haimaanishi ya kwamba hatuko kwa ile programme ya kusaidia akina mama wajawazito kupitia Linda Mama. Tumeboresha hiyo Linda Mama imekuwa ata kubwa zaidi. Sio mama pekee tunalinda. Hapo nyuma kwa serikali ambayo imepita, tulikuwa tunalinda mama pekee. Sasa hivi tunalinda mama, tunalinda mzee, kijana, mtoto, tunalinda jamii,” he said.

His remarks came a day after former President Uhuru Kenyatta criticised the government for scrapping Linda Mama. Speaking at the Jubilee Party National Delegates Conference, Uhuru accused President William Ruto’s administration of undoing gains made under his leadership.

“Many of the gains we had have been eroded. Linda Mama and others have been replaced with new, untried schemes. As Kenyans wait for these experiments to work, they suffer,” Uhuru said.

He argued that the country risked sliding backwards by abandoning tested programmes in favour of what he described as experiments.

The Linda Mama programme

Linda Mama was introduced in 2016 under the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). It aimed to improve maternal and child health by eliminating financial barriers for pregnant women. The package included antenatal visits, delivery, postnatal care, vaccinations and treatment for complications. It was available in public hospitals and some private facilities contracted by NHIF.

In June 2025, the government formally replaced the Linda Mama maternity scheme with a broader package called Linda Jamii, under the Social Health Authority (SHA). Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the transition is part of efforts to strengthen Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by expanding maternal and family care.

In the new package, normal delivery attracts a fee of Ksh10,000, while Caesarean Section (C-Section) delivery incurs a fee of Ksh30,000.

“The government has also substantially raised the reimbursement rates for maternal services; normal delivery now attracts Ksh10,000, up from the previous Ksh2,500, while Caesarean Section (C-Section) is now covered up to Ksh30,000, up from Ksh5,000,” Duale said.