Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said the government is stepping up efforts to register all Kenyans under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with a target of reaching 40 million people by the end of 2026.
Kindiki said 32 million Kenyans had been registered under SHA over the past two years, representing about 60 per cent coverage.
“It appeared impossible four years ago, but now healthcare universality is a possibility. We can smell it. We hope by the end of the year we will reach 40 million people and by next August we will have all Kenyans registered,” he said.
The Deputy President was speaking on Wednesday during the second day of the Kenya Health Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
President William Ruto opened the two-day summit on Tuesday and held an extended engagement with health sector stakeholders and beneficiaries.
Kindiki said the government's focus was not only on increasing SHA registration but also on expanding the health system's capacity to respond to the growing demand for services.
“Universal Health Coverage is about the health of the people of Kenya. Better quality healthcare for every citizen. We are now around 60 per cent coverage. This is not a small measure compared to other countries,” he said.
Since 2022, the government has deployed 24,573 healthcare interns across the 47 counties, sponsored 262 medical registrars for specialist training and committed to recruiting 5,000 additional nurses and midwives.
The national government and counties have also recruited 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who serve as the first point of contact between communities and the health system.
Kindiki said the kits used by CHPs were being replenished, while the government was considering improvements to their monthly stipends.
The government has also expanded medical equipment in public facilities through the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP).
Kindiki said equipment worth Sh9.8 billion had been delivered to 239 health facilities across 44 counties.
He said more than 500,000 surgical procedures and over 50,000 cancer care services had been supported through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF).
The government is also working to strengthen the supply of medicines and medical commodities through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), which Kindiki said had undergone significant restructuring since 2022.
He also called for stronger regulation of medicines and medical products.
“Availability of medicine must also mean safety and quality. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board must strengthen efficient regulation, post-market surveillance and pharmacovigilance, and act firmly against falsified and substandard products,” Kindiki said.
Kindiki said the Primary Healthcare Fund had received Sh27.4 billion and paid Sh23.3 billion to more than 9,300 Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities.
The financing, he said, had supported more than 20 million outpatient visits by over 15 million Kenyans.
Primary Care Networks have also expanded from two pilot sites in 2022 to 278 hubs across the country, according to Kindiki.
He said the government's objective was to strengthen healthcare delivery across all counties while linking increased access to services with investment in health workers, equipment, medicines and primary healthcare.
“Our objective is straightforward: a health system that works for the first time, works in every county and works for every Kenyan,” Kindiki said.
