Counties Invest in Community Health Workers

Several county governments in Kenya are significantly scaling up their investment in Community Health Workers (CHWs) to strengthen primary healthcare and boost disease prevention at community level. Kitui County, for instance, recently allocated KSh 200 million to increase the number of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and improve their training, equipment, and supervision.
In Wajir County, the local government has announced plans to deploy 5,000 CHPs across its wards as part of its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategy, prioritizing home visits, health education, and early detection of common illnesses like malaria, malnutrition, and respiratory diseases. (wajir.go.ke) These CHPs will receive monthly stipends, protective gear, and mobile devices to improve their effectiveness and connect them digitally to health facilities.
Meru County has also launched a comprehensive community-health improvement project that includes a large-scale recruitment and training of CHWs. Called Shika Afya Meru, the programme involves 3,000 CHWs who will be trained to deliver integrated services: maternal and child health, non-communicable disease screening, WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), and first-response care. — The county budget has earmarked KSh 150 million for it.
Health leaders say this strengthened cadre of CHWs is vital not only for bridging service gaps in their communities, but also for supporting disease surveillance, health promotion, and preventive care. County Health Executives argue that by investing in CHWs, they can reduce pressure on hospitals, lower treatment costs, and make healthcare more accessible to underserved populations.