NAIROBI, Kenya – Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo has called on Kenyans to register in large numbers for the Social Health Authority (SHA), describing it as a critical path to affordable, accessible healthcare for all.
Speaking on Sunday at Kendu Adventist Hospital in Homa Bay County during celebrations to mark the hospital’s 100th anniversary, Omollo said the SHA has already proven effective in supporting low-income families to access medical services that would otherwise be out of reach.
“Kenyans have been convinced that SHA is working, and the negative noise we had at the early stage is no more,” Omollo said. “Let the remaining Kenyans who haven’t registered do so to get affordable healthcare.”
The SHA officially replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) as the state’s primary health insurance platform.
Unlike its predecessor, which was widely criticised for favouring formally employed individuals, SHA is intended to provide universal health coverage regardless of employment status.
Health is the cornerstone of national development. Without it, progress in every other sector is undermined. That is why we are collectively championing the urgent scale-up of registration to the Social Health Authority (SHA) across the country.For far too long, access to
Homa Bay Lags Behind in Registration
Omollo revealed that Homa Bay is currently ranked 13th nationally in SHA registration, with only 44 per cent of the expected population enrolled.
“Health is a very important sector that touches everybody,” he added. “My appeal goes to county officials and other leaders to work effectively with community health volunteers in registering citizens for SHA.”
He was joined by fellow principal secretaries Dr Ouma Oluga (Medical Services), Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Boniface Makokha (Economic Planning), and Kipronoh Rono (Agriculture), all of whom echoed his sentiments.
Dr Oluga confirmed that the government has allocated more than Sh20 billion to fund the programme and urged Kenyans not to miss out on the benefits.
“Those who have not registered are denying themselves access to medication,” Oluga said. “Let’s register so that we can get better medical care.”
He also challenged health facilities to improve service delivery, noting that infrastructure support from the national government must be matched by efficiency and patient care at the facility level.
Local Leaders Back SHA Rollout
Local leaders present at the event, including Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga, Woman Representative Joyce Osogo, Karachuonyo MP Adipo Okuome, and Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, also urged residents to support government initiatives like SHA.
“The programmes that the government has rolled out, not only in Homa Bay but across Kenya, are meant to help us,” said MP Okuome. “Let’s support them to achieve their objectives of developing Kenyans.”
The SHA campaign comes at a time when the government is intensifying efforts to achieve universal healthcare, a flagship agenda under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
