Former president Uhuru Kenyatta has criticized President William Ruto for interfering with social programmes introduced during the Jubilee administration, warning that Kenyans are the ones suffering from the changes.
Speaking during the Jubilee Party National Delegates Conference (NDC) in Nairobi on Friday, September 26, Uhuru said many of the gains made under his government have been lost because of what he called “trial and error” policies.
According to the former head of state, Ruto has been dismantling crucial initiatives instead of improving them.
Uhuru singled out the Linda Mama programme, a health scheme that had been helping expectant mothers access free maternity care.
“Today, many of the gains we had in the past have been eroded. Linda Mama and others were replaced by untested schemes. As we wait for these experiments to work, Kenyans suffer and our progress is slowed down,” Uhuru told delegates.
The Linda Mama initiative was launched in 2013 with the goal of giving pregnant women—especially those from low-income families—free access to antenatal care, delivery services, postnatal care, and emergency referrals.
The programme was available in both public and private hospitals accredited by the then National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Uhuru said the programme had played a major role in reducing maternal deaths and improving access to healthcare for mothers and newborns.
However, it was later restructured and placed under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with new systems that many Kenyans claim are harder to access.
Since assuming office in 2022, President Ruto has argued that his administration is pursuing a more sustainable healthcare system under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
His team maintains that the reforms are meant to close loopholes and ensure better coverage for all Kenyans.
But Uhuru insisted the government should not have scrapped working programmes before proving the viability of new ones.
He accused Ruto of prioritizing political legacy over the welfare of ordinary citizens.
Political Undertones
The remarks come at a time when the relationship between Uhuru and Ruto remains strained. The two, once close allies, fell out during their second term in office.
Jubilee delegates cheered as Uhuru criticized the Kenya Kwanza government, signaling that the former president still commands influence within his party.
Link;
https://www.tuko.co.ke/politics/604436-uhuru-chides-ruto-interfering-linda-mama-jubilee-govt-programmes-eroded-gains/
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