Ruto Orders Governors to Register Public Health Facilities Under Social Health Authority
President William Ruto has directed all county governors to ensure that every public health facility is registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to enable timely reimbursements under the government’s medical scheme.
Speaking during a meeting with the Council of Governors on Thursday, June 5, Ruto said registration is essential for the facilities to receive financial support and improve healthcare delivery.
“We have so many public facilities that are yet to be registered. If you look at the private facilities, most of them are already enrolled. If you don’t register your facility, you miss out on the benefits,” Ruto said.
The president instructed governors to issue clear directives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to their County Executive Committee (CEC) members and Chief Officers to fast-track the process.
He added that unregistered public facilities have contributed significantly to the inefficiencies preventing Kenyans from accessing quality healthcare.
Ruto’s directive follows the recent introduction of the Lipa SHA Polepole initiative, which allows Kenyans in the informal sector to pay their SHA contributions in manageable instalments—monthly, weekly, or daily—based on their income levels.
“To address challenges such as irregular premium payments among informal workers, the government is launching a flexible payment system,” Ruto announced during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
The move comes as the government faces pressure to refine the rollout of SHA. A World Bank report released on May 27 called on the state to reconsider its funding model and urged the exemption of low-income formal sector earners from mandatory contributions, recommending full government funding for them instead.
As of May 13, over 22 million Kenyans had registered under SHA, according to Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga.
