NAIROBI, Kenya, September 28, 2026 — Kenya will take its healthy ageing campaign to the counties on October 3, with the government planning medical camps, social protection outreach, rehabilitation, wellness activities and intergenerational forums targeting older persons and their caregivers.

The county-level activities are part of the inaugural National Celebration of the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP Kenya 2026), as the government seeks to move the ageing agenda beyond national policy discussions and into communities.

Dr Peninah Ndonye of the Ministry of Health’s State Department for Medical Services said seven counties are being coordinated for dedicated celebrations, while more than 30 of Kenya’s 47 counties have confirmed plans for medical camps specifically targeting older persons and caregivers.

The activities are intended to raise awareness of the rights and welfare of older persons while improving access to integrated services available at county level.

Ndonye said ageing should not be treated as a health ministry issue alone because older persons require support across multiple sectors, including social protection, labour, gender, culture and trade.

“The issues of older persons are not only a matter for the health department or the health ministry on social protection, or the ministry of labour. It is also cutting across even the other ministries like the Ministry of gender, Culture, and Trade.”

She said county-level celebrations would bring government departments and other stakeholders together to identify and support older persons while recognising their contribution to local economies and communities.

Ndonye said the planned activities will include medical screening, cancer screening, rehabilitation, social protection outreach and wellness programmes.

Some counties have already begun activities. Nandi County, she said, has started medical camps across six sub-counties targeting older persons and has also organised activities including sporting events and support for older people requiring medical interventions and assistive devices.

Other counties are planning football and volleyball matches, running races, traditional dances, choirs, physical activities and tree-planting exercises.

Ndonye said more than 30 counties had confirmed medical camps targeting older persons and their caregivers.

The inclusion of caregivers reflects growing concern about the people providing day-to-day support to older relatives, many of whom also have jobs and other responsibilities.

“Then the question is, who cares for the caregivers? Who cares for these caregivers?”

Ndonye said support for caregivers should include financial and psychological assistance, arguing that their needs must be considered alongside those of the people they care for.

She said county programmes should also recognise older persons who have remained healthy, contributed to their communities and made a lasting impact through their work.

Tackling loneliness through intergenerational links

The county activations will also seek to address social isolation by bringing older and younger generations together.

Julie Omollo of the State Department for Social Protection said the IDOP programme was creating platforms where older persons from different parts of the country could speak about their experiences and exchange knowledge with younger people.

She said loneliness remains a significant challenge among older persons, particularly as children grow up, leave home and become increasingly engaged elsewhere.

Omollo said the planned intergenerational village would provide space for younger and older Kenyans to interact rather than treating ageing as an issue affecting one generation alone.

The initiative will also explore how older persons can pass on knowledge and life skills while younger people help them navigate new technologies.

Bridging the technology gap

Dr Tasneem Yamani, Technical Advisor at Suqoon Kenya, said ageing should not automatically be associated with incapacity, arguing that differences in technological familiarity can easily be mistaken for lack of ability.

“Technological differences can easily be mistaken for intellectual inability. Slowness becomes incompetence.”

Yamani said older people continue to contribute as farmers, business owners, mentors, volunteers, caregivers and custodians of family and community history.

She urged the media to speak directly to older people instead of allowing relatives or caregivers to become their default voices.

“Age does not remove somebody’s voice.”

She said the country should also develop its own evidence on healthy ageing rather than simply importing models developed elsewhere.

“We can’t implement what works in the other parts of the world here. We live our lives differently.”

Retirement security remains a concern.

The county campaign will also include awareness on income security and retirement preparedness.

Maurice Omollo of the CPF Foundation and Pension Club said insurance and pension coverage remained limited, leaving many older people financially vulnerable in retirement.

He said only a small proportion of older persons have private insurance and called for greater awareness of retirement and post-retirement medical planning.

He urged Kenyans to prepare financially for longer lives rather than viewing retirement planning as an issue only for people already approaching retirement.

Omollo summarised the support older people require in three words:

“Older people require cash. The other one is care, and the third one is compassion.”

The IDOP Kenya 2026 programme will combine the county activations with a national scientific conference, policy discussions and an intergenerational village in Nairobi.

State Department for Social Protection officials said the government and its partners are also working towards Kenya’s first comprehensive national ageing assessment to better understand the social and economic circumstances, healthcare requirements and income-security needs of older persons across the country.

For Ndonye, taking the celebrations to county and community level is intended to ensure that healthy ageing is not confined to conferences and policy documents.

The county activities are expected to give older persons opportunities to access services, participate in community events, engage younger generations and have their contributions recognised within the communities where they live.

The broader IDOP Kenya 2026 celebrations run from September 30 into October, with the national programme anchored on advancing healthy ageing and older persons’ rights through coordinated health, social protection and community action.