Government to cover SHA costs for 2.2 million needy Kenyans

Beneficiaries of the National and Digital Sponsorship Program at State House. [PCS]

The government will pay health insurance contributions for more than 550,000 vulnerable households under the Social Health Authority (SHA), President William Ruto has announced.

Speaking at State House today during the launch of the National and Digital Sponsorship Program for SHA, Ruto said the plan will benefit about 2.2 million people.

"I pay Sh40, 000 each month, and these leaders here pay around Sh20, 000. But there are Kenyans who cannot afford even Sh300. That is why today we are going to pay for 558,000 households, translating to 2.2 million individuals."

He urged Members of Parliament to use the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to support underprivileged families and ensure no one is left behind in accessing healthcare.

Ruto said that the government's goal is to increase the number of Kenyans registered under SHA from 26.4 million to 30 million by December.

According to the president, members can now access services in 9,000 hospitals nationwide.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the sponsorship will allow elderly Kenyans and persons with disabilities to access specialised care.

"These people can now go to Nairobi Hospital, they can now go to Aga Khan Hospitals, which previously could not have catered for them," Duale said, adding that the government has moved from a fragmented and costly system to a more collaborative, people-centered approach.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki welcomed the initiative, saying it demonstrates the government's commitment to protecting Kenyans from preventable and curable diseases. "The launch today by President William Ruto, in which the government will start paying premiums for the health insurance of 1.5 million indigent Kenyans, is historic and momentous," he said.

Speaking in Tharaka Nithi County, where he hosted more than 6,500 community health promoters from Meru County, the DP said the initiative fulfills the constitutional right to accessible healthcare.

"The Government is under an obligation to provide resources, policies, and programmes to ensure that every Kenyan attains the highest standard of health possible."

He also lauded SHA for expanding access to medical coverage for the 26.4 million Kenyans already enrolled and for recruiting 107,000 community health promoters. "The CHPs are the engine of Taifa Care's success. They are mobilising enrollment and carrying out home-to-home visits to promote healthy lifestyles across the country," he said.