Kenya Expands Ear and Hearing Services in Nakuru, Mombasa and Kakamega
Kenya is expanding ear and hearing screening, referral, treatment and follow-up in Nakuru, Mombasa and Kakamega through a new Ministry of Health and partner programme. The Ministry announced the CBM Vision Impact Scale-Up Project on September 27, 2026, following its launch in Mombasa.
What the programme plans to do
The project is intended to strengthen services through primary healthcare facilities, schools and communities. The Ministry says its wider project targets include 1,269,530 people—656,033 community members and 613,497 learners—and training 3,285 eye and ear health personnel. These are combined project targets; the Ministry release does not say all of the people screened or staff trained will be receiving hearing care specifically.
The Ministry also says Kenya is integrating routine sensory screening into school health services and working to strengthen referral and follow-up. Screening can identify a reason for further assessment, but it does not by itself diagnose a hearing condition or guarantee that treatment is available at every site.
What the Ministry’s hearing figures show
The Ministry cited 837,416 reported ear-disease cases in Kenya in 2022, including 264,789 among children under five. It also cited estimates that 15% of adults over 50 experience hearing problems and 14 in every 1,000 children have moderate to severe hearing loss. These figures describe the burden cited by the Ministry; they do not establish that hearing problems are increasing year by year.
When to seek a hearing check
Ask a health worker about assessment if you or a child has persistent difficulty hearing, recurring ear pain or discharge, or concerns about a child’s speech or response to sound. The World Health Organization advises seeking care for ear pain, discharge or difficulty hearing. A health worker can assess the problem and refer for further testing when needed.
Do not put cotton buds, sticks, oil or unprescribed drops into the ear. WHO says the inner ear is self-cleaning and that inserting objects can push wax deeper or injure the ear. Use medicines only when a qualified health worker has advised them.
How to find out whether services are available locally
The Ministry’s announcement names Nakuru, Mombasa and Kakamega but does not give a facility-by-facility rollout schedule. Residents can ask a nearby public health facility or school health contact whether screening has started locally and where referrals are made. Do not assume that every facility already offers specialist testing.
Sources
- Ministry of Health: CBM project to strengthen eye and ear services in three counties
- World Health Organization: ear care and when to seek help
This article provides general information and does not replace an assessment by a qualified health professional.
