Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has stirred debate after suggesting Kenya should explore adopting a two-child per family policy, arguing that it could help guarantee families a better quality of life.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 30, while weighing in on the government’s shift from the Linda Mama programme to the newer Linda Jamii (also called Linda Taifa) scheme, Cherargei dismissed the former as outdated and narrow in scope.
“Linda Jamii is far superior to the moribund Linda Mama because it safeguards the whole family, giving them access to affordable and quality healthcare,” he said.
The senator claimed that unlike Linda Mama rolled out under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration and limited to maternity and newborn care Linda Jamii expands protection to mothers, their spouses, and children.
According to Cherargei, the revamped programme under the Social Health Authority (SHA) has broader coverage, taking in services funded through the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF).
“In fact, as a country, we should consider the Japanese-style two-child policy to ensure quality and affordable lifestyles for most families in Kenya,” he added.
The senator’s remarks feed into the wider debate about the effectiveness of Linda Mama, which was once hailed as a landmark maternal health programme but is now being critiqued for its limitations. Linda Jamii, meanwhile, is being positioned by the Kenya Kwanza administration as a more comprehensive successor, designed to bring entire households under one healthcare safety net.
