Funding crisis hits Kenya’s cancer fight
National Cancer Institute of Kenya has appealed to Parliament for an additional Sh250 million in the current financial year, warning that funding gaps are undermining efforts to prevent, detect, and diagnose cancer early.
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health during deliberations on Supplementary Estimates I for the 2025/2026 financial year at Bunge Tower, Acting Chief Executive Officer Elias Melly said the institute lacks adequate resources to effectively execute its mandate under the Cancer Prevention and Control Act.
Melly told lawmakers that although the agency had proposed a Sh4.1 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, it was allocated only about Sh340 million—far below what is required to coordinate national cancer control programmes.
“This will not address the challenge that we are facing if we have to operationalise the National Cancer Institute and achieve its mandate of reducing the cancer burden in the country,” he said.
He noted that while Kenya has made significant investments in treatment infrastructure at major referral facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, prevention and early detection efforts remain severely underfunded.
According to the acting CEO, global evidence shows that investing in prevention is far more cost-effective, with every dollar spent potentially saving up to sixteen dollars in treatment costs.
He urged MPs to prioritise screening programmes, particularly for cancers that account for the majority of cases in Kenya.
The institute is seeking Sh50 million in the supplementary budget to recruit additional staff approved by the Public Service Commission, citing a critical shortage of personnel to support nationwide initiatives. It has also requested Sh48.5 million to sustain screening and early detection programmes targeting breast, cervical, oesophageal, colorectal, and prostate cancers, which together account for more than 60 per cent of the country’s cancer burden.
He warned that without immediate funding, screening activities may stall in the remaining three months of the financial year.
An additional Sh41.5 million has been earmarked for public education and awareness campaigns, following increased demand for cancer information during pilot programmes at the sub-county level.
The agency also plans to strengthen diagnostic capacity by operationalising the national cancer reference laboratory, which remains underutilised due to limited resources. The CEO described pathology services as the weakest link in cancer care despite progress in treatment and imaging.
During the session, Joshua Oron raised concerns over fragmented cancer services, questioning why regional centres are not centrally coordinated. Dr Melly said such reforms would require legal clarity to harmonise roles between national and county governments.
