Kenyans seeking healthcare services could soon find it easier to register for Taifa Care right in their places of worship, following a new partnership between the Ministry of Health and faith-based organizations.
In a joint consultative meeting held in Nairobi, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that churches and mosques will set up registration desks for Taifa Care, enabling millions of worshippers to sign up for the health cover during their regular services.
“Places of worship are trusted spaces for our people. By bringing Taifa Care closer to where Kenyans already gather, we ensure no one is left behind,” said Duale.
Faith-based facilities — which account for nearly a third of Kenya’s healthcare services — are expected to play a major role in extending Universal Health Coverage to remote and underserved communities.
The government has already supplied 100 digital devices to some of these hospitals and trained staff on digital health systems. Leaders from the Catholic Church, the Christian Health Association of Kenya, and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims welcomed the move, saying it will ease access for ordinary families.
“This partnership means even the most remote Kenyan can walk into a mission hospital or a mosque and get registered for care,” said Rt. Rev. Cleophas Oseso of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Ministry also announced Ksh 3.2 billion in support for Community Health Promoters (CHPs), many of whom work hand in hand with faith-based clinics to deliver services in rural areas.
Faith leaders said the financial support, alongside commitments to settle doctors’ arrears and pay medical interns, will boost morale in health facilities and translate to better patient care.
Beyond financing, the Social Health Authority promised to clear hospital claims within 90 days and to assign relationship managers to both public and faith-based hospitals to smoothen service delivery.
“Taifa Care is about the mwananchi,” Duale emphasized. “When claims are paid on time, doctors are motivated, and registration is made simple, then Kenyans feel the change where it matters most — when they are sick and need care.”
