Nairobi, June 22 -- By Dr Boniface Oyugi, Cynthia Charchi and Dr Hope Simiyu

Every year, Kenya's county governments allocate billions of shillings to health. Yet facilities still run short of medicines, mothers deliver without essential commodities, and critical equipment sometimes sits idle. How can both realities coexist?

The answer lies in a distinction that rarely features in public debate: budgeting for health is not the same as financing healthcare delivery. A budget line is a promise. Between that promise and a patient receiving care lies a long and obstacle-filled journey.

Funds enter county health systems through national transfers, county allocations, and locally generated revenue. They move through treasury and departmental ...