A group of cancer patients on Tuesday, October 7, took to the streets outside the Social Health Authority (SHA) offices in Upper Hill, Nairobi, to demand better medical coverage for cancer treatment.
The demonstrators called on the government to urgently review SHA’s current funding model, saying the Ksh550,000 limit for the entire course of treatment falls far short of meeting actual costs. They argued that the allocation cannot adequately cater for essential services such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and medication procedures many patients depend on for survival.
The peaceful protest, which began mid-morning, caused brief traffic disruptions along key roads in the Upper Hill area as patients held placards and chanted slogans urging authorities to “fund treatment, not funerals.”
Several of the demonstrators shared their frustrations, saying the capped amount forces many families to deplete their savings or abandon treatment midway. They appealed to the SHA and the Ministry of Health to implement a more realistic and inclusive funding structure that reflects the true cost of battling cancer in Kenya.
