President William Ruto has announced that the government will bear the cost of the Social Health Insurance (SHA) for 1.5 million Kenyans who are unable to afford it.
In an update on Tuesday, September 2, Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects, Dennis Itumbi, confirmed that the payment mechanisms for the beneficiaries will begin next week.
"We have identified 1.5 million Kenyans who cannot afford the SHA registration fee. The Government will cover the cost for all of them and payment mechanisms will begin next week," Ruto's statement read.
This comes three months after Ruto announced measures to optimise SHA, making it efficient for the beneficiaries.
Speaking on Sunday, June 1, he said those registered but working in the informal sector will now start paying in instalments for the system to be in synch with their irregular income.
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"To address persistent challenges such as irregular premiums and other contributions among informal sector workers, we are introducing an innovative and inclusive payment solution called Lipa SHA Pole Pole or Lipa SHA Mosmos.
"This initiative enables Kenyans to remit their annual SHA contributions through flexible, manageable instalments, whether monthly, weekly, or even daily, based on their financial ability," he said.
Ruto added that the payment system has been actualised through a multi-agency approach involving the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs, mobile network operators, and financial institutions.
To register, one dials *147# and then complies with the prompts.
Additionally, Ruto said the government would commit more funds to strengthen Taifa Care and sustain its momentum.
"The government has allocated sufficient resources to fully fund primary healthcare services. Every registered Kenyan can now access care in public and SHA-contracted facilities at no cost. Taifa care is universal in both words and deeds," he added.
Elsewhere, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale was forced to address remarks made by Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura regarding access to SHA services by Hustler Fund defaulters.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, June 23, Mwaura had suggested that Kenyans who defaulted on Hustler Fund loans would be barred from accessing SHA benefits.
"If you took a Hustler Fund loan and defaulted, we will make arrangements to ensure that you don't get Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits because you must pay your loan; a total of Ksh6 billion in defaulted loans is a lot of money," he said.
However, responding to the remarks, Duale dismissed Mwaura’s statement and reiterated the government's commitment to health coverage.
"The information is inaccurate. All Kenyans have a right to access Social Health Authority (SHA) services regardless of their engagement with Hustler Fund," the CS stated.
