Residents of Northern Kenya have gained improved healthcare access through the Social Health Authority (SHA) program, with President William Ruto announcing that over 800,000 people across Wajir, Garissa and Mandera are now registered under the national health coverage system.
President William Ruto described the expansion as one of the most significant gains in healthcare inclusion since independence, positioning the reforms as a central element of efforts to reduce long-standing inequalities in marginalized regions.
“Today, of the 31.5 million Kenyans registered with the Social Health Authority, about 800,000 are residents of Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties, representing one of the most significant expansions of healthcare inclusion since independence,” Ruto stated.
He made the comments on Monday during his Madaraka Day address in Wajir, connecting health reforms to the broader national agenda of inclusion and equal access to essential services.
The President indicated that the reforms are already generating substantial financial support for health facilities in the region, noting that claims worth Sh8.1 billion have been paid for services delivered in the three counties.
“To date, SHA has paid Sh8.1 billion in claims for services provided in these three counties, demonstrating the transformative impact of this reform on access to quality healthcare,” he said.
The payments represent part of the government’s transition to a health financing model designed to strengthen reimbursement to hospitals and expand treatment access, especially in remote and underserved areas.
The SHA framework replaces previous insurance arrangements and aims to enhance risk pooling and simplify claims management.
President Ruto presented the health reforms as part of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, stating that equitable healthcare access must be treated as a core development priority alongside education, infrastructure and livelihoods.
“Inclusion does not end with recognition. It must be reflected in people’s daily lives; in the education their children receive, the healthcare they can access, the opportunities available to their young people and the roads they travel on,” he said.
He added that improved healthcare access is expected to enhance productivity and household resilience in arid and semi-arid regions where communities have historically faced persistent service delivery gaps.
The President noted that increased registration under SHA has already led to higher utilization of health facilities in Northern Kenya, with hospitals receiving improved financial flows that support service delivery.
He explained that this shift is helping to overcome long-standing barriers that previously limited access to affordable care.
Ruto also connected the health reforms to national cohesion, stating that equitable access to medical services is part of restoring dignity to communities that were historically excluded from development planning.
“Every Kenyan, regardless of ethnicity, religion or geography, deserves equal protection, equal dignity and equal treatment under the law,” he said.
He highlighted that ongoing government investments in Northern Kenya, including infrastructure and social services, are meant to complement the health reforms by strengthening the overall delivery of essential services in the region.
The SHA rollout continues as part of broader structural changes in the health sector aimed at expanding coverage and improving efficiency in public health financing across the country.