6.4 million older Kenyans by 2045: Are systems ready?

Kenya will have about 6.4 million people aged 60 and above by 2045, and the country needs to begin preparing now for their healthcare, income security, social protection, and care needs, a geriatrician has said.

Geriatrician and healthy ageing expert Tasneem Yamani, who is medical director at Hamar Healthcare and a technology adviser at Suqoon, said longer lives were an achievement of public health but required changes to the systems supporting older persons.

“By 2045, Kenya will have 6.4 million people aged 60 and above. We cannot wait until 2045 to start preparing,” Yamani said.

The 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census recorded 2,740,040 people aged 60 and above, representing 5.7 per cent of the population, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. KNBS data show the number of older persons had increased steadily from 1.93 million in 2009.