The Ministry of Health on in October 2022 issued an alert to all counties of an outbreak of cholera that was spreading across the country following its detection in Kiambu county. By the end of January 2023, the country had recorded more than four thousand cases. Cholera is a bacterial disease that can cause severe diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting, and if left untreated can cause death in a matter of hours. Since 1971, Kenya has experienced biennial outbreaks of cholera, however the frequency has increased since 2006, with the country now suffering from annual bouts of the disease that are taking longer to control.

The ‘Twanga Kolera’ (let’s beat cholera) campaign is seeking to support the Ministry of Health’s Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) efforts by addressing key behavioural barriers that have been identified such as low risk perceptions (although people have average to good awareness of cholera, they fail to associate it with consumption of ‘faecal’ matter), many Kenyans thinking cholera is not a risk for their communities and associating it with other people, consumption of unsafe water from various sources including open water bodies, high thresholds for what people consider to be dirty etc.

Through the DigiRedio platform Cholera prevention messaging is being aired on 50 radio stations across all the 47 counties in the country through education entertainment using radio spots, radio dramas, and jingles. Expert interviews and infomercials also enhance public understanding of the risks involved and prevention measures.