President says UHC reforms have tripled insurance cover, funded 500,000 surgeries, and equipped 44 counties with new medical machines
NAIROBI,18th August 2026-President William Ruto says the country’s health sector has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last three years, with expanded insurance coverage, more facilities, and major investments in equipment and community health.
Speaking when he opened the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at KICC, Nairobi, Dr Ruto said the shift from NHIF to the Social Health Authority has driven the biggest jump in health access in recent history.
“Numbers tell the story of the remarkable transformation we have undertaken in Kenya’s health sector over the past three years,” Ruto stated.
According to the President, SHA now covers 32.3 million Kenyans, compared to 8 million who were registered under the defunct NHIF.
Since October 2024, SHA has collected more than Sh209 billion and paid out over Sh178 billion to contracted hospitals across all 47 counties. The scheme has already facilitated treatment for 8 million citizens.
On primary care, Ruto said Sh23.3 billion disbursed through the Primary Health Care Fund supported 20 million outpatient visits for more than 15 million Kenyans. Another Sh 17 billion went to maternal health services, including deliveries.
He also cited major gains in specialized care, where under SHA, more than 500,000 surgeries have been conducted nationwide, and over 50,000 cancer patients have received treatment-up from just 7,000 under NHIF.
Access has also expanded physically. The number of health facilities accredited under SHA has grown to more than 10,700.
“As a result, more Kenyans can access quality healthcare closer to where they live, work and raise their families,” he said.
In partnership with counties, the government has recruited 107,800 Community Health Promoters who have reached 9 million households to detect health risks early and link families to care.
Under the National Equipment Services Programme, 850 modern medical units worth Sh9.7 billion have been delivered to hospitals in 44 counties. The equipment includes digital X-rays, dialysis and MRI machines, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines.
Digitization efforts are also paying off. Ruto noted that the medicine refill rate at KEMSA has risen to over 91%, up from 40% three years ago.
“But beyond these numbers are the human stories: Lives saved, mothers safely delivering their children, patients receiving treatment in time, and communities made healthier and stronger,” the President said.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage.
“We made a solemn promise to the people of Kenya to deliver Universal Health Coverage, and we will stop at nothing to fulfil that promise. Healthcare is a right for every Kenyan, not a privilege for a few.”
Ruto thanked county governments, Parliament, and development partners for supporting the health reforms.
