NAIROBI, Kenya — Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale says Kenya’s transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) represents a major leap in expanding access to healthcare, noting that enrolment has tripled since the reforms began.
Speaking on Tuesday, Duale said the Ministry of Health has “robust plans” to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, describing the difference between the old NHIF structure and the new SHA model as “day and night.”
According to the CS, NHIF had 9 million registered members, the majority being salaried workers. In contrast, SHA has already enrolled 27.6 million Kenyans, which he termed a significant milestone toward universal health coverage.
Duale said the rapid increase in registration reflects strong public confidence in the new system and aligns with the government’s goal of ensuring that every Kenyan has access to affordable and reliable healthcare.
He added that ongoing reforms within the ministry are designed to reduce financial barriers to treatment, improve service quality, and ensure that health insurance covers all citizens — not just formal sector employees.
