Cancer has become the second leading cause of death in health facilities in Kenya, surpassing cardiovascular diseases, according to the 2024 Kenya Vital Statistics Report published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. The five commonest cancers in Kenya are breast, cervical, prostate, oesophagus and colorectal cancers. According to KEMRI, women are extremely affected by cancer with a higher incidence recorded in women as compared to men.
By prioritizing these high-burden cancers, Kenya Network of Cancer Organizations (KENCO), the National umbrella body of civil society organizations engaged in various aspects of cancer prevention, control, and care in Kenya has been in the lead in promoting health equity for all people at risk of and living with cancer by strengthening health systems, advancing awareness and education, influencing policy and advocacy, fostering partnerships, and generating evidence to support effective cancer interventions.
The Kenya Network of Cancer Organizations (KENCO), was established in 2013 and registered in 2016. The organization brings together over 75 member organizations working across the cancer continuum, with a presence in all regions countywide.
According to Phoebe Ongadi, the Executive Director of KENCO, the organization foresees communities and people living happy, healthy, and hopeful lives, unaffected by cancer.
The Organization’s core values include upholding four values, that is; Integrity, equity, teamwork and partnership, and finally, diversity and inclusivity. KENCO also aims to promote an inclusive cancer response system where strict compliance and enactment of the law is central, similarly pushing members to carry out county or local based practice changes to improve service.
In accordance to KENCO, cancer and the related burden are caused by many other factors and require multi-sectoral, and stakeholder approaches. Hence the urgency to interrogate and act against ecological and climate change challenges will improve health-related milestones.
KENCO is a key player in tobacco control, recognizing that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of at least 16 types of cancer, including lung, bladder, oesophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, kidney, and leukaemia. (Cancer Research UK, 2025. As a member of the Kenya Tobacco and Nicotine Tax Coalition (KTNTC) https://ktntc.org/.
KENCO works alongside civil society organizations to advocate for effective tobacco and nicotine tax policies. These efforts aim to strengthen public health, promote social justice, and reduce the harmful impact of tobacco and nicotine products across Kenya.
Through tobacco control, KENCO directly addresses one of the most significant preventable contributors to cancer, reinforcing its mission to protect communities, reduce cancer incidence, and save lives.
KENCO is looking forward to an improved health milestone for those at risk and living with cancer so that they be constantly supported by human rights-minded people, institutions, policies, and laws.
This year KENCO will be marking a significant milestone; 10 years of coordinated civil society action against cancer in Kenya. This anniversary, according to KENCO, provides an opportunity not only to reflect on what has been achieved, but also to rally partners, supporters, and champions to invest in the next decade of impact.
Over the past ten years, KENCO has grown from a small network of 13 founding organizations into a strong national platform of more than 75 civil society organizations working together to improve cancer outcomes. Through advocacy, patient support, capacity building, policy engagement, and community empowerment, KENCO has touched the lives of thousands of patients, survivors, caregivers, and health workers across the country.
Over the last decade, some of the KENCO’s Key highlights include: Successful advocacy that contributed to the operationalization of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya and the strengthening of national cancer governance, championing for the access to essential cancer medicines by ensuring uninterrupted availability of Herceptin in public hospitals during the SHA transition through the #INeedMyHerceptinNow campaign, reducing its cost in private facilities from Ksh. 100,000 to Ksh, 40,000, an achievement acknowledged by the Ministry of Health.
On the 27th day of March 2026, KENCO will be hosting its Annual Fundraising Dinner at the Boma Hotels, Nairobi under the theme: KENCO@10 -Celebrating a Decade of Impact and Securing the Next. This special edition of the dinner will serve as the official flagship celebration of KENCO’s 10-year journey and the Launchpad for the organization’s next decade of work.
The dinner will bring together government leaders, development partners, corporate organizations, healthcare professionals, civil society actors, cancer survivors, caregivers, media, and individual champions who have walked with KENCO over the years.
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