NAIROBI, Kenya — Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa wants Kenyans to know one thing: the telco isn’t running the Social Health Authority (SHA)—it’s simply making it work better.
In a candid interview on Citizen TV’s Power Talk, Ndegwa addressed growing public speculation about Safaricom’s role in the rollout of the SHA system, clarifying that the company’s involvement is squarely in the tech lane.
“We’re responsible for the digitisation element,” Ndegwa explained. “When you register for SHA, we make sure you get a smooth digital experience. That’s where our job starts and ends.”
The SHA, which supports Kenya’s push toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), has sparked debate on everything from data privacy to healthcare access.
But according to Ndegwa, Safaricom’s only job is to ensure the digital engine behind the system runs without glitches—think better connectivity, tablets for doctors, and reliable registration platforms in even the remotest parts of the country.
Tablets, 4G, and a 10-Year Vision
Ndegwa outlined how the company’s existing strengths are being repurposed for public good. “Doctors and nurses will need tablets, and we provide that,” he said
“Many hospitals don’t have adequate 4G coverage, especially in remote areas. We’re solving for that too.”
This isn’t new ground for the company. Safaricom has long been at the forefront of digitising both the public and private sectors in Kenya. From mobile banking via M-Pesa to government service portals, its tech footprint runs deep. Now, with SHA, the focus is on building a digital health ecosystem that functions end-to-end over a 10-year roadmap.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, expanding 4G coverage remains a critical step toward enabling equitable digital services nationwide—especially in healthcare.
No Payment Yet, Just Progress
For those wondering whether the project has already lined Safaricom’s pockets, Ndegwa was quick to clarify. “We haven’t been paid a cent,” he said.
“We’ve been working for a year, and the model is milestone-based. We finish our scope, the government reviews our work, and then we get paid.
That kind of transparency matters. With the Data Protection Act and digital accountability increasingly under the spotlight, Ndegwa emphasized that Safaricom is building infrastructure—not hoarding patient information.
“When hospitals are fully enabled and patients are fully empowered, it’ll be a fantastic system,” he added.
A Digital Future, Not a Data Grab
While critics remain skeptical about private sector involvement in public healthcare, Ndegwa insists the outcome will speak for itself. A fully digitised SHA, he believes, could empower patients, streamline hospital operations, and make access to care a reality—not just an ideal.
For now, Safaricom’s role is digital—wires, screens, signal towers—not policy or data management. In other words: Safaricom is wiring up the system, not running it.
And that, Ndegwa says, is the future of healthcare—powered by tech, but led by the people it’s designed to serve.
