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The government has been urged to take immediate action to address the acute shortage of medical doctors and other professionals, as the country continues to lose its best brains to foreign nations in search of better opportunities.
Speaking at Zetech University’s Mangu campus, Professor Njenga Munene, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, raised alarm over the dwindling number of doctors in the country.
He said the crisis has reached worrying levels, severely compromising the quality of healthcare delivery across Kenya.
Prof. Munene, who was reacting to the 2025-2026 Budget Economic Survey estimates on the health sector, expressed shock at the revelation that Kenya, with a population of 52 million people, has only 13,340 registered doctors.
This translates to an alarming ratio of approximately 1 doctor for every 3,000 people, far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended ratio of 1 doctor per 1,000 people.
“This means Kenya requires at least 52,000 doctors to meet the current health demands,” he stated, terming the gap as a “national health emergency.”
Prof. Munene attributed the shortage to the continuous migration of Kenyan doctors and other skilled professionals to foreign countries, lured by better remuneration and working conditions.
“It’s not just doctors. Engineers, lecturers, and other experts are also leaving. Ironically, some of the greatest institutions in Africa and the developed world are being run by Kenyan professionals,” he noted.
He warned that Kenya cannot develop if it continues to “export its best brains,” calling on the government to create favorable working environments and policies that will encourage professionals to stay and serve the nation.
“The well-being of citizens is the most crucial thing in every country. If we do not act now, the consequences will be dire, especially for our already overstretched health system,” Prof. Munene emphasized.
