The Kenyan government has implemented a new digital system to oversee healthcare delivery in real time, as explained by Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni. This system, enabled by the 2023 Digital Health Act, tracks activities across all 47 counties to ensure accountability and prevent fraud.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni spoke in an interview on January 22, 2026, detailing how the government is using digital systems to monitor healthcare delivery across Kenya in real time. The Digital Health Act of 2023 has fundamentally transformed how health data is collected, tracked, and acted upon in all 47 counties. According to Muthoni, the digital framework enables the Ministry of Health to receive daily reports from community health promoters, facilities, and healthcare workers nationwide, offering a clear view of ground-level activities each day. “If I open my computer in the morning, I can see everything that happened yesterday,” she said. “From all 47 counties, I can see how many households were visited and how many community health promoters were active.” The system monitors key indicators such as diabetes screenings, childhood malnutrition assessments, common childhood illnesses, and referrals to health facilities for further evaluation. Beyond patient data, healthcare workers are now fully digitized, allowing the government to track professional practices and prevent misuse of public health systems. “That is why you have seen that we can switch off your license,” Muthoni explained, noting that practitioners attempting fraudulent access or operating outside registered facilities can be locked out. Illustrating with doctors, she discussed One-Time Passwords (OTPs) under the Social Health Authority (SHA), where physical proximity to registered facilities is verified for regulation. “You cannot give your OTP in Mandera while you are in Nairobi,” Muthoni stated. “You must be in the facility for us to know that the surgery actually took place.” The PS said these measures protect public funds, eliminate ghost services, and ensure only legitimate care is reimbursed under the Universal Health Coverage program. She emphasized that community health promoters are legally anchored to support this system, receiving stipends for verifiable, data-backed services. Muthoni concluded that digital oversight is no longer optional but central to restoring trust in public healthcare and ensuring Kenyans receive entitled services without fraud, shortcuts, or exploitation.