Ruto to hospitals: Stop charging poor patients or face action

President William Ruto. [File, Standard] President William Ruto has warned hospitals against exploiting poor patients, saying government funds are meant to serve the vulnerable, not enrich business owners. Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with grassroots women leaders from Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Kisumu counties at Homa Bay State Lodge, Ruto cautioned that any hospital found to be taking money from poor patients would face his intervention. "All hospitals that try to take money from the poor will meet me. Government money is for the poor, not for businessmen," he stated. He was accompanied by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Senator Moses Kajwang. Ruto's statement comes days after he cautioned government-run hospitals, especially dispensaries and Level 4 facilities, that continue to demand payment for outpatient services. He said such practices violate the government's pledge to provide free primary healthcare under the Universal Health Coverage programme. "Those few who are still charging Kenyans in these government-paid facilities will have themselves to blame, because we will go after them," he warned during an earlier address at State House in Nairobi on Monday, August 4. The warning follows public concern over continued out-of-pocket costs at some public hospitals despite the rollout of the Social Health Authority, which has been active for more than 10 months. As of August 2025, the government reports that 25 million Kenyans have enrolled in the programme, with more than 10,000 public, private and faith-based health facilities offering services under the scheme. To enhance efficiency and reduce fraud, the Ministry of Health, through Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, has ended the use of One-Time Passwords to authorise access to Social Health Authority services. Approvals will now rely on biometric health IDs or the Practice 360 mobile application. Duale said biometric registration is already available in all Level 4, 5 and 6 facilities as part of a strategy to improve service delivery and protect public funds. Wanga urged the national government to work with counties to empower women, pointing to early pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence, new HIV infections and access to education as critical issues. "If we can have a way of empowering these women, which we are doing as counties, but in any other additional way, they will be able to handle all these issues," she explained. Kajwang noted that the meeting coincided with International Youth Day. "When you solve the problems of the youth and solve the problems of women, then you have solved the problems of the nation," he observed. Ruto arrived in Homa Bay ahead of the 2025 Devolution Conference, which opens Tuesday under the theme 'Inclusion, Equity and Social Justice in Development and Service Delivery.' The four-day event will bring together more than 10,000 delegates to review devolution progress and address challenges slowing regional development. This is the second time the lake region is hosting the national event after Kisumu held a similar conference in April.

Ruto to hospitals: Stop charging poor patients or face action

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Ruto to hospitals: Stop charging poor patients or face action

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