An overwhelming majority of Kenyans skip routine medical testing simply because they feel healthy.
A survey report by IPSOS, titled Know Your Numbers (KNY) and released on August 27, 2026, reveals that 72 per cent of respondents cite feeling healthy as their primary reason for not getting tested recently.
This sentiment remains consistent across genders, accounting for 71 per cent of males and 72 per cent of females.
Schedule constraints represent the second most common barrier. Overall, 18 per cent of respondents—19 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women—report being too busy to seek testing.
Additionally, 12 per cent of both men and women cite inconvenient timing as a key factor delaying their check-ups.
Financial concerns also play a role, with 10 per cent of both male and female respondents noting that testing is too expensive.
Other factors contribute to lower percentages. Six per cent of respondents consider testing too time-consuming, while 5 per cent express a fear of results, a concern slightly higher among women at 5 per cent compared to 3 per cent of men. Lack of encouragement affects 4 per cent of respondents.
Distance and lack of interest each account for 3 per cent overall, though interest levels differ slightly: 4 per cent of men state they are not interested compared to 3 per cent of women.
Minimal barriers include distrust in providers at 2 per cent, lack of information on where to go at 1 per cent, and other unclassified reasons accounting for 2 per cent.
