Mandago Chairs Senate Health Committee in Review of 2026 Budget Policy Statement
The committee’s findings will determine how health sector budget allocations will progress through the upcoming financial year and subsequent years.
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago Thursday chaired a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Health to examine the 2026 Budget Policy Statement which shows Parliament’s commitment to fair and ongoing financial support for healthcare during the examination of upcoming budget period.
The Senate conducted the national budget framework review which included discussions about how proposed allocations and policy priorities will help advance health system development and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and county health services under the devolved system. The 2026/27 Budget Policy Statement establishes strategic priorities and fiscal forecasts which will assist National and County Governments in developing health budget plans for the upcoming financial period.
Senator Mandago emphasized in his speech that the Senate must safeguard health sector funding through a system that promotes equity and transparent allocation of resources which meets both urgent national and local requirements. He stated that funding distribution should focus on protecting vulnerable citizens who rely on public health services for their basic needs.
The committee members expressed their worries about previous budgeting methods used by the Ministry of Health during the session because they found certain budget allocations did not show any relationship with crucial health achievements. The senators who had examined the previous year’s budget increase requested more investigation into the budget surge while they wanted to emphasize healthcare worker compensation and core service delivery.
The committee established that national health priorities should match county health systems during UHC implementation and county healthcare facilities need complete funding to guarantee their proper operation. The public review process runs simultaneously with the Senate public invitation for citizens and stakeholders to present their opinions on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement and the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy before the final recommendations go to the Senate.
The Health Committee under Mandago’s leadership will maintain its ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health and devolved health authorities until it completes its official reporting to the Senate plenary. The committee’s findings will determine how health sector budget allocations will progress through the upcoming financial year and subsequent years.
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