Hello friends! This episode is a dedication to you, who has walked this journey with me and my team for the last three years of creating Otherwise?! I am off to graduate school (The London School of Economics and Political Science) for a Masters in Public Policy and Administration, and I wanted to do one last episode before I left! :)
This episode answers the questions many of you have asked me since the inception of Otherwise?. Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me. We will be taking a break while I pursue my graduate studies, but we will be back when I'm done; bigger, better, and bolder. Kwaheri ya kuonana!
The Constitution in Article 43, sub-article 1 (a) states that “Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare”. Article 43 sub-article 2 also states that a person shall not be denied emergency medical treatment. The Jubilee government, as part of its Big Four Agenda, plans to roll out universal health coverage to all Kenyans by 2022, guaranteeing quality and affordable healthcare to all Kenyans. In the 2018/2019 budget, universal health coverage received a provision KES 2.5 billion.
The government plans to reconfigure the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and reform the governance of private insurance companies. They also plan to have 100% of the poor covered by government, 9 million people covered by KES 32 billion formal member contributions, 12 million people covered by KES 28 billion informal member contributions, and a 50% decrease in out of pocket medical expenses.
We're joined by Dr. Amakove Wala, Programme Director - Health Systems Strengthening at Amref in Kenya, to talk about how we can achieve universal health coverage in Kenya.
Resources
Constitution of Kenya - Article 43: Economic and social rights
Big Four Agenda at core of Kenya spending, to spur economic growth
Towards Universal Health Coverage in Kenya: Are We On The Right Path?
County Governments At The Centre of Achieving Universal Health Care
Universal Health Care As Inspired By The Kenya Vision 2030
President Uhuru launches Universal Health Coverage Pilot Program Nairobi, (KENYA) December 13, 2018
How Kenya can attain universal health care
Universal Health Coverage: What you need to know
Universal Health Coverage Advocacy Guide
Linda Mama, Boresha Jamii: Implementation Manual for Programme Managers
Only 20% Kenyans have medical cover
Start of a new era of health care in Makueni
County Universal Social Protection Coverage for All: A Case Study of Makueni County, Kenya
What makes Makaueni's Sh 500-a year universal Health Care Programme tick
How to achieve universal health coverage? Focus on primary care
Episode 70: Financing the Kenyan Government
Episode 105: Social Protection in Kenya
Human-wildlife conflict is a growing problem in Kenya today, and it has a huge negative impact on both human and wildlife populations. It happens when there is close interaction between wild animals and human beings, which leads to injury, death, predation and transmission of diseases. In February 2019, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) issued a notice to the public that the dry spell being experienced in most parts of the country was displacing wildlife from their traditional habitats in search of pasture and water. This had increased conflict as the wildlife came into contact with the public and human activities. They said that as the dry spell progressed, the risk of human wildlife conflict was expected to increase until the country received the long rains. Areas that have experienced increased incidence of human wildlife conflict were in Narok, Taita Taveta, Laikipia, Kajiado, Meru, Mau, Marsabit, Lamu and the Mt. Kenya region. We can assume that such warnings will become more frequent in coming years.
We’re joined by Susanna Maingi, a research scientist and wildlife ecologist with expertise in human-wildlife conflict, antipoaching and conservation outreach, to discuss the increasing cases of human-wildlife conflict in Kenya. Press play!
Resources
KENYA’S ORIGINAL SIN: Root causes of rising human-wildlife conflicts
Characteristics of Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Kenya: Examples of Tsavo and Maasai Mara Regions
77 people killed in human-wildlife conflicts in 2018: Balala
Alert on Increased Incidence of Human - Wildlife Conflict
Collapse of Wildlife migratory corridors as 100 mapped areas threatened
KWS says SGR affecting wildlife movement in Tsavo
Human-wildlife payment claims hit Sh15bn in last 5 years: PS
Human-Wildlife Conflicts and compensation for losses in Kenya
Why wildlife is critical for human existence
Human–Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence
Illegal Hunting and the Bushmeat Trade in Savanna Africa
KWS unearths illegal bushmeat trade
Report Of The Taskforce On Consumptive Wildlife Utilization in Kenya
The ugly truth about wildlife conservation in Kenya
The 2017 Shooting of Kuki Gallmann and the Politics of Conservation in Northern Kenya
How Conservation Became Colonialism
When WWF's conservation looks like colonialism, it's time for a new approach
A Leaked Report Shows WWF Was Warned Years Ago Of “Frightening” Abuses
Conservation's Biggest Challenge? The Legacy of Colonialism (Op-Ed)
Is Conservation a New Form of Colonialism?
Why are we not seeing many black faces in conservation?
Saving the world's wildlife is not just "a white person thing"
Exploring the Hidden Costs of Human–Wildlife Conflict in Northern Kenya
Public land, historical land injustices and the new Constitution
Invasive alien species in Kenya: status and management
Invasive alien species in Kenya (PDF)
Episode 24: Drought Begins With You
Episode 65: The Oil in Turkana
Episode 66: The Politics of Food in Nairobi
Episode 78: Public Finance and the Right to Food [Part 1]
Episode 79: Public Finance and the Right to Food [Part 2]