Nairobi, Nov. 23 -- East African governments are walking a tightrope in their quest to provide universal health coverage for their populations.

In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, governments are grappling with not just the needed laws but also indifference - sometimes outright opposition - from key stakeholders.

A Bill in Uganda that would have resulted in a national health cover is pending review after President Yoweri Museveni declined to sign it into law following opposition from private sector employers.

The draft law required private sector employers to match contributions by employees but the players argued that was an added cost to doing business.

Numerous challenges

In Kenya, the push for universal health coverage (UHC) has faced...