Diabetes In Kenya – Why Kenyans Need To Know About Early Diagnosis

By Taofik Oloruko-Oba, Country Manager, Kenya and Head of East Africa Network at Roche Diagnostics

Each November, World Diabetes Day raises global awareness about a condition that affects people of all ages — children, working adults and older people alike.¹ In Kenya, diabetes is emerging as a major health priority, with an estimated 813,000 adults living with the condition — roughly 3.1% of the adult population. Many remain undiagnosed or receive care too late, but that can change through early testing and integrated, life-stage-based care.² 

Across East Africa, health systems are evolving from limited screening and episodic treatment to more comprehensive primary care. Kenya’s Ministry of Health has already begun integrating non-communicable disease (NCD) management into community-level services and improving access to affordable medicines. The adoption of the Kenya Nutrient Profile Model is another major milestone, helping guide healthier food policies and reduce diet-related disease risk.

There has been progress indeed, but as global funding priorities shift, Kenya must continue to lead the region in building healthier communities across all life stages. With strategic investment in early diagnosis and prevention, it can be done.

Testing as the turning point

A simple blood-glucose test remains the most effective first line of defence. Once diagnosed, patients can take control of their health through ongoing Blood Glucose Monitoring (BGM) — knowing their numbers, seeking care promptly and managing their condition with confidence.

However, in Kenya – and many other African countries – the main barrier to better care for people with diabetes is not technology but access. Many primary healthcare centres remain overextended, with limited capacity for routine screening. Expanding blood-glucose testing into communities, workplaces and pharmacies can close that gap and bring prevention closer to home.³

Partnerships for access and innovation

Progress depends on collaboration. Governments, private organisations, insurers and development partners are increasingly co-creating funding models that expand screening networks and sustain national NCD programmes. By combining public-sector reach with private-sector innovation, these partnerships make diagnostic access more equitable and more consistent across counties.

These collaborative models are essential as international health funding becomes more uncertain. Building locally anchored partnerships ensures that screening, diagnosis and education continue to reach people who need them most.

From awareness to action

In 2022, WHO Member States endorsed five global diabetes coverage targets to be achieved by 2030:

• 80% of people with diabetes are diagnosed;
• 80% of those diagnosed have reasonable control of glycaemia;
• 80% of those diagnosed have reasonable control of blood pressure;
• 60% of people with diabetes aged 40 or older receive statins; and
• 100% of people with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin and blood-glucose self-monitoring.⁴

These goals set a strong direction. By strengthening primary-care screening, promoting healthy living and expanding partnerships, Kenya can move from awareness to sustained action.

For now, let’s start small. If you’re reading this, get tested, know your status and encourage others to do the same. Every early diagnosis is a life lived with possibility, not limitation.

[Side bar/Info box]

What you need to know about diabetes (Source – World Health Organization):⁶

• Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
• Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose.
• Hyperglycaemia, also called raised blood glucose or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and, over time, leads to severe damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
• Type 1 diabetes (juvenile or childhood-onset) is caused by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin.
• Type 2 diabetes affects how your body uses sugar (glucose) for energy. It prevents the body from using insulin properly, which can lead to high blood sugar levels if left untreated.
• Over time, type 2 diabetes can cause serious damage to the body, especially nerves and blood vessels.
• Type 2 diabetes is often preventable. Factors that contribute to developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, and genetics.
• Early diagnosis is essential to prevent the worst effects of type 2 diabetes.
• The best way to detect diabetes early is to get regular check-ups and blood tests with a healthcare provider.

Preventing diabetes (Source – World Health Organization):⁶

Lifestyle changes are the best way to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.