NAIROBI, Kenya, July 29 – Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has urged Kenya and the United Kingdom to place education, research and skills development at the heart of their healthcare partnership, saying a well-trained workforce is critical to achieving universal health coverage and strengthening health systems.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking during the 5th Kenya-UK Health Alliance Conference and the renewal of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Ogamba said the next phase of collaboration should focus on producing globally competitive healthcare professionals, expanding research partnerships and supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing.

He noted that education is the backbone of healthcare delivery, arguing that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, biomedical engineers and other professionals are products of strong education and training systems.

“Health systems are built by educated professionals, powered by innovation born in universities and research institutions, and sustained by technical and vocational skills developed in our colleges and polytechnics,” Ogamba said.

📌 What You Need to Know

The Cabinet Secretary said the Kenya-UK Health Alliance has delivered significant gains since its launch in 2021, attracting more than £116 million in research and training investments while strengthening institutional partnerships between universities, research organizations and healthcare facilities in both countries.

According to Ogamba, the partnership has enabled more than 280 Kenyan nurses to qualify to international standards and secure employment within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service through collaborations with Oxford Radcliffe, Royal Berkshire, the Royal Free London and Cambridge/East of England.

The alliance has also supported major projects in oncology, antimicrobial stewardship and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Health Education and Training involving six Kenyan universities.

Ogamba said the renewed partnership should prioritize aligning education and training with the evolving needs of the healthcare sector by identifying workforce gaps and redesigning curricula to produce graduates with practical, industry-relevant skills.

He pointed to Kenya’s ongoing implementation of the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) system, which emphasizes practical skills over theoretical examinations.

“The goal of our Alliance must be co-production: joint research, joint intellectual property and joint clinical innovation,” he said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya