Ruto Defends Uhuru on Linda Mama but Pitches Linda Jamii as “Better”

President William Ruto has defended his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, over his remarks on the Linda Mama programme, saying the initiative laid the groundwork for major reforms in Kenya’s maternal health sector.

Speaking at Umma University in Kajiado on September 30, 2025, Ruto urged Kenyans to recognize Uhuru’s role in launching Linda Mama. He noted that while the programme served the country well, his administration’s Linda Jamii scheme had expanded the benefits and scope.

“Let me come to the defence of my former boss, the former president Uhuru, to defend him that we should be magnanimous to him. He, at times, led our country, and the Linda Mama programme was a great programme. We developed it under the Jubilee administration, under the leadership of President Uhuru,” Ruto said.

Linda Jamii: A Broader, Improved Scheme

The Head of State explained that lessons learned from Linda Mama informed the design of Linda Jamii, which he described as a significant improvement.

Unlike Linda Mama, which mainly focused on delivery services, Linda Jamii covers prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. It now targets not only mothers but also children and entire households.

“It (Linda Jamii) is an improvement of the Linda Mama programme. So, Linda Mama was good, Linda Jamii is obviously better,” Ruto said.

Also Read – Kindiki Fires Back at Uhuru Over Linda Mama Criticism

He emphasized that Linda Jamii offers a stronger pathway toward universal health coverage, with benefits that have grown significantly. Whereas Linda Mama offered between Sh2,000 and Sh2,500 per enrollee, Linda Jamii now provides between Sh10,000 and Sh30,000.

Ruto added that the programme has been fully integrated into the universal health coverage framework under the Social Health Authority (SHA).

Duale Accuses Uhuru of Mismanaging Maternal Health Funds

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had weighed in, taking direct aim at the former president. He accused Kenyatta of leaving behind fictitious debts of up to Sh30 billion under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which had overseen Linda Mama.

“The Kenya Kwanza administration has not scrapped the Linda Mama programme but enhanced it. Our former boss (Uhuru Kenyatta) should be grateful. He left us with Sh30 billion fictitious debts trickling down to Sh5.6 billion under the Linda Mama programme,” Duale said.

He further challenged Kenyatta’s record on maternal care, arguing that high maternal mortality rates persisted in several regions despite Linda Mama’s existence.

“The retired President Uhuru should tell us why the maternal mortality was high during his administration if the Linda Mama was as good as he purports. We still have 20 counties where maternal mortality is high,” he added.

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