NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has declared that Kenya has crossed an “historic threshold” in the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), citing expanded health insurance coverage, increased financing and the rollout of community-based healthcare reforms.
Speaking at the opening of the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Tuesday, August 18, Ruto said his administration had fundamentally changed how healthcare is financed and delivered.
He said the reforms were anchored in the constitutional right to health under Article 43, which guarantees every Kenyan the right to the highest attainable standard of health and emergency medical treatment.
“For the first time since Independence, Kenya has put in place a comprehensive legal, financial, institutional, community and digital architecture for Universal Health Coverage,” Ruto said.
32.3 million Kenyans registered with SHA
Ruto said 32.3 million Kenyans are currently registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), while eight million people have received treatment under the system.
He said more than 1.2 million mothers have been supported to deliver safely, while more than 500,000 surgical procedures have been covered.
The President said the government has also sponsored nearly 560,000 vulnerable households, covering approximately 2.2 million Kenyans.
He attributed the expansion of coverage to the reforms that replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with SHA.
Government claims Sh178bn paid to health facilities
Ruto said SHA had received more than Sh209 billion since October 2024 and paid more than Sh178 billion to contracted healthcare facilities across the 47 counties.
He also reported an improvement in the availability of medicines through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
According to the President, KEMSA’s order-fill rate has risen from about 40 per cent to 91 per cent.
He said the government had recapitalised KEMSA with Sh1.5 billion and extended a Sh10 billion credit line to strengthen the medical supply chain.
“Our destination is 100 per cent,” Ruto said.
107,800 Community Health Promoters deployed
The President said 107,800 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) are now operating across the country.
According to Ruto, the CHPs have reached more than nine million households and referred over 750,000 people for further treatment.
He said the programme represents a shift from a healthcare system that waits for people to become seriously ill to one focused on prevention and early detection.
“We are reversing the old logic of waiting for people to fall sick,” he said.
Government funds primary healthcare
Ruto said the Primary Healthcare Fund has received Sh27.4 billion in budgetary allocation, with Sh23.3 billion already disbursed.
The funds, he said, have supported more than 20 million outpatient visits, benefiting over 15 million Kenyans.
He said the objective was to ensure Kenyans can access treatment at primary healthcare facilities without being forced to travel to major hospitals for basic services.
Ruto highlights SHA success stories
The President cited individual cases to illustrate the impact of the reforms.
He highlighted the case of Lydia, an 18-year-old student who underwent specialised surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital costing Sh168,000.
According to Ruto, the procedure and recovery were covered through SHA, allowing the teenager to return to school.
He also cited Christine Awino Onyango, a 42-year-old widow from Kisumu diagnosed with Stage II oesophageal cancer.
Ruto said Onyango received specialised treatment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, including surgery and intensive care, with her medical bill exceeding Sh250,000 against an annual SHA contribution of Sh7,000.
SHA 922 emergency service
Ruto also highlighted the recently launched SHA 922 Lifeline and National Ambulance Dispatch Centre, which he said provides a free emergency call connecting patients to emergency services.
According to the President, evacuation and the first 24 hours of stabilisation are covered regardless of whether a patient is registered with SHA.
“No deposit, no guarantee,” Ruto said, arguing that emergency care should not depend on a patient’s ability to pay.
Ruto warns against healthcare fraud
The President also addressed fraud within the healthcare financing system, saying digitisation was intended to make every patient, treatment and payment traceable.
He alleged that the old system had been affected by claims for procedures that never happened, fictitious patients and inflated medical bills.
Ruto cited cases where claims were allegedly made for the amputation of the same patient’s leg more than once.
“That was not healthcare, it was theft, and theft from sick Kenyans,” he said.
Ruto admits reforms still need improvement
Despite presenting the reforms as a major achievement, Ruto acknowledged that challenges remain.
He said the government needs to make SHA registration easier, clarify benefits, speed up claims processing, improve digital systems and ensure more consistent quality of care.
“The ultimate measure of reform is not the laws we pass or the numbers we register, but the experience of the patient,” he said.
The two-day Health Summit brings together the national and county governments, Parliament, development partners, private-sector players, civil society, healthcare professionals and communities to assess the progress of UHC reforms.
Ruto said the discussions would also contribute to a broader conversation on Kenya’s development beyond Vision 2030.
“Serious nations do not start again every five years,” he said, urging future governments to build on existing healthcare reforms rather than dismantling them.
He officially declared the Kenya Health Summit 2026 open, calling for continued efforts to strengthen Kenya’s healthcare system and make universal healthcare a lasting national commitment.
