President William Ruto expressed his confidence in the effectiveness of the new Social Health Authority (SHA) health scheme during the 61st Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kwale on Sunday. He affirmed his government’s commitment to achieving effective universal health coverage through this initiative.
Ruto highlighted that the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will transform healthcare, ensuring that all Kenyans have access to both preventive and curative services.
“I urge all Kenyans to have faith and a little patience. In a matter of weeks, SHIF will serve us efficiently and help realize the dream of universal coverage,” he stated.
He explained that the SHIF will enable citizens to contribute and access comprehensive healthcare benefits, emphasizing the undeniable value of the scheme once the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is complete and the fund becomes fully operational.
Addressing concerns about job security, Ruto assured that all NHIF employees will transition to the new SHIF.
“I understand that during this transition, NHIF employees will be managed according to SHIF regulations,” he noted. He added, “I want to reassure all former employees and those now working under the new system that no one will lose their job. I appreciate their dedication and service during this transition.”
Additionally, Ruto announced that, as of early October, 12.9 million Kenyans had registered with the SHA. He pointed out that all public health institutions and 50% of private facilities have already enrolled to provide services.
“We encourage private hospitals to expedite the contracting process so we can complete the final phase of the Universal Health Coverage rollout,” Ruto stated.
He also confirmed that Ksh. 3 billion has been disbursed to settle all outstanding payments to service providers, further accelerating the rollout of UHC.
