Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has praised Kenya’s progress in the fight against jigger infestation, describing it as one of the country’s most successful grassroots public health campaigns.

Speaking on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a County, during the launch of the Ahadi Kenya Trust Jigger Archive and Community Resource Centre in Mukuyu, Mudavadi said the country had made major strides in reducing a menace that once affected millions of Kenyans, particularly children and the elderly in poor rural households.

“I was pleased to join residents of Mukuyu… for the launch of the Ahadi Kenya Trust Jigger Archive and Community Resource Centre, a powerful symbol of resilience, dignity and social transformation,” Mudavadi said.

The event marked two decades of progress in the anti-jigger campaign and honoured survivors and families whose experiences inspired nationwide efforts on hygiene, healthcare and dignity restoration.

“Two decades ago, millions of Kenyans… were affected by this menace. Today, this milestone stands as proof that community action, awareness and collective responsibility can transform lives,” he added.

New archive centre to preserve public health history

Mudavadi commended Ahadi Kenya Trust Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Stanley Kamau Maina and his team for sustaining the campaign for 19 years. The newly launched centre will act as a national hub for research, education and preservation of Kenya’s public health history linked to jigger infestation.

The facility will preserve jiggers and fleas, treatment equipment, research materials, newspaper reports, audio-visual records and testimonies from survivors.

“We are here to archive the painful chapter of the long fight against jigger infestation. In the worst-affected areas, children frequently missed school, families lived in pain and shame, communities suffered in silence, and victims were isolated and stigmatised,” Mudavadi noted.

He said some victims lost mobility while others died from severe infestations due to stigma, poor sanitation and poverty.

Fight against infestations

The anti-jigger campaign began in Murang’a in 2007 before expanding to other regions through collaboration between government agencies, county governments, health workers, volunteers and local communities. Mudavadi said the partnership had helped restore dignity, improve sanitation and return thousands of children to school.

He also highlighted government support through public awareness campaigns and the annual National Jigger Awareness Day, marked every March 3. The Ministry of Health’s “Epuka Uchafu Afya Nyumbani” campaign has continued to promote hygiene and preventive healthcare in vulnerable communities.

Mudavadi further pointed to ongoing research efforts, including a project by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology that is testing new jigger treatment gel formulations derived from tobacco plant extracts. The research seeks to provide more effective treatment against Tunga penetrans fleas across East Africa.

Stanley Kamau described the archive as “a symbol of hope… that dignity, health and opportunity is the new chapter.” Mudavadi urged Kenyans to maintain proper hygiene, sanitation and decent housing to prevent future outbreaks.