President William Ruto has said the Social Health Authority (SHA) has disbursed KSh107 billion to healthcare facilities across Kenya since January 2026, citing expanded health insurance registration and direct facility financing as evidence of progress under his administration’s healthcare reforms.
Speaking at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on Tuesday, October 20, during Mashujaa Day celebrations, Ruto said more than 10,000 healthcare facilities receive funds directly under SHA, enabling them to purchase medicines, medical supplies and other essential commodities according to their needs.
“Since 1st January this year, SHA has disbursed 107 billion to healthcare facilities across the country, the highest in Kenya's history,” Ruto said.
The President presented the figure as evidence of changes in healthcare financing following the transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA, which replaced the former fund under the government’s new social health insurance framework.
He said the former NHIF funded selected hospitals, while SHA extended financing to facilities nationwide, including health centres and dispensaries.
“Under NHIF, payments were irregular and unpredictable; under SHA, healthcare facilities receive financing every month without fail,” Ruto said.
The President also reported that registration under SHA had reached 33.3 million people, compared with seven million covered under the former NHIF system. He said the expansion was part of efforts to extend healthcare access beyond those previously covered by the old insurance scheme.
Ruto added that the government had digitised healthcare delivery, replacing paper-based processes with systems intended to allow patient information to be shared between healthcare facilities.
He described the reforms as part of efforts to provide quality healthcare regardless of where Kenyans live or their financial circumstances.
However, the figures presented in the address do not independently establish whether every contracted facility has received all payments due, whether claims are being settled on time or whether patients are experiencing improved access to treatment.
A Ministry of Health update published on June 11 reported that SHA had paid KSh147.37 billion in claims since the authority began operating, with 31.39 million Kenyans registered and 11,034 health facilities contracted. The ministry’s figures cover a different reporting period and refer specifically to claims paid, so they cannot be directly equated with the KSh107 billion announced by Ruto without clarification of the respective accounting periods and measures.
Payment timelines and facility contracting have also remained key issues in SHA implementation. On October 5, the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors agreed that clean claims should be paid within 90 days of receipt and in the order received. Where available funds are insufficient, unpaid clean claims are to be recognised as certified liabilities for settlement within the same financial year, subject to appropriated funds.
The agreement also addressed the contracting of public health facilities under SHA’s 2026–2029 contracting cycle, with the authorities seeking to ensure eligible facilities complete the process and continue providing services to beneficiaries.
The impact of the KSh107 billion announced by Ruto will ultimately depend on how payments reach healthcare providers, whether facilities can maintain adequate supplies and whether the expanded insurance system translates into reliable, accessible treatment for Kenyans.
