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President William Ruto has reiterated his administration’s commitment to delivering universal healthcare, declaring that access to health services must be a right, not a privilege, for all Kenyans.
Speaking at State House during the launch of the National Equipment Service Project (NESP), Ruto urged counties to work closely with the national government in implementing the Social Health Authority (SHA), despite growing concerns over the scheme’s rocky rollout.
“Let me persuade you that health should never be a privilege. Health should always be a right for every citizen,” Ruto said during the Thursday event.
He announced that Sh13 billion has already been set aside to provide free outpatient services in all Level 2, 3, and 4 public health facilities for Kenyans registered under SHA.
“Every Kenyan who is registered in SHA should go to the hospital, be treated, be given medicine, and go home without paying anybody anything,” he stated.
The president directed governors to ensure public health facilities stop charging registered patients and instead process reimbursements through the national claims system. He warned that billing citizens for services already funded by the government is “not acceptable.”
However, his assurances come against the backdrop of persistent complaints about the SHA program, which has faced technical hitches, delayed claims processing, and protests from patients and healthcare workers alike.
Unemployed Kenyans have voiced concerns over compulsory contributions, while hospitals continue to report delayed payments. Health facilities have so far submitted claims totaling KSh12.4 million, but only a small portion has been reimbursed.
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System failures have also affected patient verification processes. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale recently scrapped the One-Time Password (OTP) system in favor of biometric verification following weeks of service disruptions linked to technical glitches.
Several public hospitals, especially in rural areas, remain hesitant to fully adopt the SHA system, citing unpredictable financial flows and unreliable digital infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, President Ruto expressed confidence in the program, revealing that the government has developed advanced data systems and algorithms to determine household incomes and ensure that the most vulnerable receive full state support.
“We are going to help you so that we can share the responsibility of paying for indigents between the national government and counties,” he said.
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