… Subscribe to our newsletterOn healthcare, the coalition criticised the Social Health Authority (SHA), describing it as “a compulsory tax with a hospital logo.”It claimed that despite mandatory contributions, Kenyans still struggle to access services due to system inefficiencies a …
… o Milimani court Human Rights Division By Dzuya Walter June 09, 2026 03:12 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize A constitutional petition challenging the legality of the Social Health Authority …
… In her alternative budget framework, Karua proposed abolishing the housing levy, reducing Social Health Authority contributions to Sh500 per family, and strengthening oversight mechanisms within the health sector to curb corruption. …
… athif Jama before the Senate CPAC over audit queries at Bunge Tower, Nairobi, September 3, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has come under heavy criticism after a video of him dismissing the current healthcare system under the Social Health Authority …
… The trustees insist they have no involvement in the operations or financing of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Social Health Authority (SHA), or other healthcare financing mechanisms challenged in the constitutional case. …
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 3 — The Social Health Authority (SHA) has appointed Winfred Nduku Nthiani as Assistant Director for Corporate Communication, bringing to a close a competitive recruitment process that attracted 100 applicants. …
… PHOTO | COURTESY Audio By Vocalize Safina Party leader and 2027 presidential hopeful Jimi Wanjigi has pledged sweeping economic and social policy changes, including the abolition of the Social Health Authority (SHA), removal of Value Added Tax (VAT), and the introduction of free …
Ruto apologises for decades of State marginalisation in Northern Kenya
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·Capital News
… President Ruto also urged residents to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA), noting that uptake in Wajir currently stands at 35 per cent. …
… On universal healthcare, he said more than 800,000 residents across the region have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), which has already paid KSh8.1 billion in claims to hospitals in Wajir, Garissa and Mandera, expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare …
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Medical Services has challenged county health leaders to speed up Universal Health Coverage reforms, stating the country has moved from policy formulation to implementation. As of June 8, 2026, 31.39 million Kenyans had registered with the Social Health Authority, which has paid Sh147.37 billion in healthcare claims since October 2024 and contracted 11,034 health facilities nationwide.
Why it matters
PS Oluga reports 31.39M registered with Social Health Authority and Sh147.37B in healthcare claims, tracking critical UHC implementation progress.
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Medical Services has challenged county health leaders to speed up Universal Health Coverage reforms, stating the country has moved from policy formulation to implementation. As of June 8, 2026, 31.39 million Kenyans had registered with the Social Health Authority, which has paid Sh147.37 billion in healthcare claims since October 2024 and contracted 11,034 health facilities nationwide.
Starting Monday, hospitals accredited by the Social Health Authority to offer primary healthcare will face surcharges if they do not dispense prescribed drugs to patients after treating them.
Nairobi County has opened a fully operational 36-bed maternity wing at Pumwani Majengo Health Centre to bring essential maternity care closer to residents of Majengo, Gikomba and surrounding areas. The facility, accredited by the Social Health Authority, aims to reduce strain on referral hospitals while improving access to safe and affordable maternal healthcare.
Pumwani Majengo Health Centre has opened a 36-bed maternity wing offering delivery, antenatal, and postnatal care services to residents of Gikomba, Majengo and surrounding areas. The SHA-accredited facility has already begun receiving mothers and newborns and also provides outpatient consultations, laboratory testing, pharmacy services, tuberculosis screening and treatment, and HIV/AIDS comprehensive care.
Kenya's Treasury has proposed a Sh177.2 billion allocation to the health sector in the 2026/27 financial year to accelerate Universal Health Coverage rollout and strengthen access to essential healthcare services. Major allocations include Sh19.1 billion for Primary Health Care Funds, Sh8.6 billion for UHC staff, Sh18.5 billion for disease prevention programmes, and Sh6.4 billion for vaccines and immunisation initiatives.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced that more than 31.2 million Kenyans have registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), replacing the defunct NHIF as part of the government's Universal Health Coverage programme. The transition marks a significant increase from the approximately eight million previously covered under NHIF, supported by 228 Primary Care Networks, 107,831 Community Health Promoters, and 16,810 deployed medical interns.
County Chief Officers of Health from all 47 counties met in Kisumu for a two-day forum organised jointly by the Ministry of Health and Council of Governors to review Universal Health Coverage reforms and address bottlenecks including delayed SHA reimbursements, digital health integration, medicine shortages, and emergency service operationalisation.
Kenya's United Alternative Government coalition, led by Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, unveiled a "People's Budget" alternative plan and accused the Ruto administration of economic mismanagement, citing a projected budget deficit of more than Sh1 trillion and policies deepening the country's debt crisis.
The government has warned of rising fraudulent Saccos formed ahead of the 2027 General Election and is tightening regulations in the cooperative sector. Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya said the ministry now requires any Sacco seeking licensing to have a minimum capital base of Sh10 million within the county of operation.
The opposition coalition, operating under the United Alternative Government banner, has unveiled an alternative "People's Budget" that prioritises education, healthcare, job creation and lowering the cost of living while reducing the fiscal deficit. The opposition attacked President Ruto's proposed 4.8 trillion shilling budget as the largest spending plan in Kenya's history, built on unsustainable borrowing and misplaced priorities.
The opposition has presented a "People's Budget" of Sh.4.32 trillion ahead of the government's 2026/2027 fiscal plan, proposing to reduce the fiscal deficit to 2.8 per cent of GDP while increasing funding for education and health, restoring programmes such as Linda Mama and Edu Afya, and allocating Sh.80 billion for youth employment. The coalition, led by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, has accused the government of fiscal recklessness, excessive borrowing, and anti-poor policies.
A constitutional petition challenging the legality of the Social Health Authority (SHA), digital health systems and public officer medical schemes has been transferred from the High Court in Kiambu to the Constitutional and Human Rights Division at Milimani. The petition, filed by Francis Awino, argues that the healthcare financing structures are operating outside the law.
People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has rejected key proposals in the 2026 Finance Bill, arguing the government is prioritising higher taxation over fiscal discipline. Karua outlined PLP's alternative economic plan centred on spending restraint, support for productive sectors, and relief measures for households and businesses.
Garissa Governor Nathif Jama faced backlash after a video showed him telling a sick woman not to rely on the Social Health Authority's medical cover and instead giving her Sh1,000 to pay for private treatment. The remarks sparked criticism from netizens and opposition lawmakers who questioned the governor's stance on the healthcare system.
The Public Service Superannuation Fund and its Board of Trustees are asking to be removed from a constitutional petition, arguing their mandate is limited to managing pension, gratuity, retirement, disability and death benefits for public servants, and they have no involvement in healthcare financing systems like SHIF or SHA.
The Social Health Authority has appointed Winfred Nduku Nthiani as Assistant Director for Corporate Communication following a competitive recruitment process that attracted 100 applicants and narrowed to seven shortlisted candidates interviewed on Wednesday.
Safina Party leader and 2027 presidential hopeful Jimi Wanjigi vowed during a town hall in Mombasa to abolish the Social Health Authority, remove Value Added Tax, introduce free education from primary to TVET level, and refuse to honour what he described as illegitimate public debt acquired outside proper budgeting processes.
President William Ruto concluded a three-day tour of Northern Kenya, pledging to increase government investment in infrastructure and essential services. During the tour, he commissioned and inspected development projects including a KSh72.2 million mini-grid project for 500 households in Garissa, and announced KSh4.1 billion in rural electrification investments for Wajir, KSh2.5 billion for Mandera, and KSh1.6 billion for Garissa.
President William Ruto concluded a three-day tour of Northern Kenya by pledging to allocate Ksh.123 billion to the region, stating his administration is committed to integrating the North into Kenya's development agenda through infrastructure, water, electricity, schools, and roads.
President William Ruto issued a formal apology to the people of Northern Kenya for state-sanctioned marginalisation and neglect resulting from a 1965 Cabinet Sessional Paper that concentrated development on so-called "high potential" areas, leaving the northern frontier without adequate roads, water, healthcare or schools.
At Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County, President William Ruto committed to dismantling historical barriers that have denied Northern Kenya residents access to essential services and economic opportunities, citing systemic discrimination as exemplified by the experience of a Wajir resident who faced repeated obstacles obtaining a national identity card.
An open letter to Health CS Aden Duale argues that mental health represents a critical public health crisis in Kenya, with an estimated five to 10 million Kenyans living with mental health conditions—up to one in five citizens—yet most cases remain undiagnosed or untreated in primary healthcare settings.
The Social Health Authority paid Sh12.74 billion to healthcare providers in May, with the Social Health Insurance Fund accounting for Sh7.25 billion of the total. Facilities rely on these reimbursements to fund operations, procure medicines, and settle supplier obligations.
The Child Welfare Society of Kenya is set to receive an additional Ksh.300 million in the 2026/2027 financial year, raising its budget to Ksh.500 million from Ksh.200 million in the previous year. The National Assembly Committee on Social Protection pushed for the increased funding to strengthen child protection, education, and rescue programmes for vulnerable children.
Kadu Asili has criticized President Ruto's Coast region development plan, claiming the administration is relying on projects initiated under President Kenyatta's regime and has not launched any landmark projects of its own. The party also contested the Ruto government's recruitment at Kenya Ports Authority, stating that over 80 per cent of about 290 positions went to the Rift Valley region.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki defended education reforms implemented since 2022, stating the government has recruited 100,000 teachers in four years and plans to add 20,000 more after the next budget cycle. He highlighted increased education financing rising from Sh500 billion in 2022 to Sh765 billion in the next fiscal year, as well as construction of 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories to strengthen Competency-Based Education and Training.
President Ruto has announced government investment of more than Ksh.10 billion in blue economy projects at the Coast, including five fish landing sites, three fish markets, 272 modern fishing boats, a Ksh.1.5 billion hatchery, and a Ksh.2 billion Shimoni Fish Port in Kwale County, aimed at strengthening families dependent on fishing.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that the government will promote 50,000 teachers after allocating funds in the 2026/27 budget, doubling the initial target of 25,000 following consultations with teacher unions. The administration is also addressing teachers' concerns over health insurance and working conditions.
The Principal Secretary for Medical Services said the government is intensifying investments in health infrastructure and county healthcare systems to strengthen Universal Health Coverage, including inpatient wings and maternity facilities. He urged Kenyans to register under the Social Health Authority, saying increased enrolment is critical in sustaining healthcare services and strengthening public hospitals.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that the government will promote 50,000 teachers through improved budgetary allocation in the coming financial year, up from an initial target of 25,000 after consultations with unions. Kindiki said some teachers have been stuck at the same job level for over ten years and the administration aims to improve welfare and reduce individual teacher workload.