Hypertension Prevalence Increases Across Counties

According to recent data from the Kenya News Agency, the prevalence of hypertension is sharply rising across counties, with about 24 percent of Kenyans now estimated to live with the condition. The Director of Family Health, Dr. Issak Bashir, described the statistics as alarming, noting that despite the high prevalence, only 22 percent of those diagnosed are on treatment — and a surprisingly low 3 percent of those on medication have actually achieved blood pressure control. This has raised urgent calls for expanded screening efforts and improved awareness, especially given that hypertension often shows no symptoms until complications arise.
In Kakamega County, the situation has become particularly pressing. County health officials reported over 51,000 people living with hypertension — a significant increase from previous years (around 41,500 in 2022). Bernard Wesonga, the county’s Health Executive, emphasized that a key challenge is the lack of widespread screening: many people remain undiagnosed until the disease has advanced. To address this, Kakamega has scaled up blood pressure checks in health facilities and homes through community health promoters, especially in its 12 sub-counties.
Meanwhile, in Homa Bay County, medical teams and partners have urged residents to take routine hypertension testing seriously. According to MSF’s Dr. Emetole Earnest, some sub-counties — particularly Marindi and Nyalkilnyi — are bearing the brunt of the burden, with a significant portion of admissions at the county referral hospital tied to chronic illnesses like hypertension. The call to action is strong: without regular blood pressure monitoring, many people may not know they are at risk until serious complications set in.
Experts across the country are urging more robust public health interventions, pointing to lifestyle risk factors as key drivers of the epidemic. Poor diet, lack of exercise, high salt intake, alcohol use, and smoking are frequently cited as contributing to the rise. There is a clear consensus: screening is the cornerstone of controlling hypertension. Without early detection, the disease remains a silent killer — but with more accessible screening, health officials hope to reduce the long-term burden of cardiovascular diseases.