President William Ruto has directed all county governments to fast-track the registration of public health facilities under the Social Health Authority (SHA), warning that failure to do so is costing communities access to vital health resources and government reimbursements.
Speaking at the 9th National and County Government Coordinating Summit held at Enashipai Hotel in Naivasha, Nakuru County on Thursday, June 5, President Ruto emphasized that while most private hospitals have completed their registration, a significant number of public health facilities remain unregistered — a lapse he termed “unfortunate.”
“If you don’t register your facility, you do not get the benefit of being given the money. It’s a big loss to the community and the whole plan of delivering healthcare,” Ruto stated.
The president urged governors to take direct responsibility and instruct their County Executive Committee Members (CECs) and Chief Officers (COs) to ensure full registration of facilities within their jurisdictions. He also suggested incorporating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress on this front.
“My request to governors is to instruct your CECs and COs and give them a KPI to ensure that any facility that is not registered, is registered,” he added.
The directive is part of the broader push by the government to operationalize the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) under SHA and ensure universal access to affordable healthcare, especially for Kenyans in the informal sector.
Just days earlier, during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, President Ruto launched the “Lipa SHA Polepole” initiative — a flexible installment payment plan for SHIF contributions aimed at accommodating low-income earners.
“This initiative will enable Kenyans to remit their annual SHA contributions through flexible, manageable installments — whether monthly, weekly, or even daily — based on their financial abilities,” Ruto said.
The announcement comes in the wake of a World Bank report released on May 27, which advised the Kenyan government to review its health financing strategy. The lender recommended that low-wage earners in the formal sector be exempted from SHIF contributions, with the state stepping in to fully subsidize their coverage.
As of May 13, 2025, over 22 million Kenyans had registered under SHA, according to Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga — a significant milestone, but one that still requires structural and operational support through full institutional registration.
