President William Ruto has defended the government’s health reforms, saying the Social Health Authority (SHA) is helping thousands of Kenyans access treatment without being pushed into financial hardship.
Speaking during the Kenya Health Summit 2026 in Nairobi on Tuesday, Ruto cited the case of a Kisumu widow who received specialised cancer treatment after paying only Sh7,000 in annual SHA contributions.
Christine Awino Onyango, a 42-year-old widow from Kisumu County, was diagnosed with stage two cancer and faced the additional burden of travelling to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
Ruto said Christine instead received treatment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, including surgery, intensive care and post-operative management.
Her medical bill eventually exceeded Sh250,000 but was settled through SHA.
“Her annual share contribution was only Sh7,000. Her bill was paid by SHA,” Ruto said.
The President used Christine’s case alongside that of an 18-year-old student, Lydia, to defend the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and its push for universal health coverage.
Lydia required specialised surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital after developing severe breast overgrowth that affected her mobility and confidence.
The procedure cost Sh168,000, a bill Ruto said her mother could hardly afford. SHA covered the treatment and recovery costs, allowing the teenager to return to school.
“Look at Christine, look at Lydia, and consider the millions of Kenyans who can now walk into a health facility and receive care,” Ruto said.
The President also revealed that 32.3 million Kenyans are now registered with SHA, with more than eight million having received treatment under the scheme.
He said more than 1.5 million mothers had safely delivered under the programme, while over 500,000 surgical procedures had been supported and paid for.
Since October 2024, Ruto said SHA had received more than Sh209 billion and paid Sh178 billion to contracted health facilities across the country.
The figures, he said, marked a major shift from the previous health insurance system, which left many Kenyans paying large medical bills from their pockets.
Ruto said the government had also sponsored nearly 560,000 vulnerable households, covering about 2.2 million Kenyans.
Under the primary healthcare fund, he said Sh27.4 billion had been allocated, with Sh23.3 billion already disbursed to support more than 20 million outpatient visits.
The government has also invested in strengthening the supply of medicines, with the President saying the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority’s order fill rate had improved from about 40 per cent to 91 per cent.
He said KEMSA had received Sh1.5 billion in recapitalisation and a Sh10 billion credit line to improve the supply of medicines.
Ruto acknowledged that challenges remain, including making SHA benefits clearer, speeding up claims and improving the quality of care across facilities.
“The ultimate measure of reform is not the law we pass or all the numbers to register, but the experience of every patient,” he said.
The President said the government’s focus would now shift to making the system work better for every patient, facility and county.
He maintained that universal healthcare should not be viewed as a government or political achievement but as a national commitment that should survive changes in government.
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