President William Ruto has defended the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying more than eight million Kenyans have already received treatment under the new health insurance system.
Ruto said the figures show that the government’s push for universal healthcare is beginning to deliver the intended benefits to ordinary Kenyans.
Speaking during the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Tuesday, Ruto said 32.3 million Kenyans are now registered with SHA.
He said more than 1.5 million mothers have received maternity care, while over 500,000 surgical procedures have been supported and paid for under the system.
“Consider, for example, the case of Lydia and Christine, and consider the millions of Kenyans who can now walk into a health facility and receive care,” Ruto said.
The President highlighted the case of Christine Awino Onyango, a 42-year-old widow from Kisumu County who was diagnosed with stage two cancer.
Christine required specialised treatment, including surgery and post-operative care, with her medical bill exceeding Sh250,000.
Ruto said she had contributed only Sh7,000 towards SHA but the scheme settled the larger medical bill.
“Her annual share contribution was only Sh7,000. Her bill was paid by SHA,” he said.
Ruto also cited the case of 18-year-old Lydia, who underwent specialised surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital at a cost of Sh168,000.
He said SHA covered the treatment and recovery costs, allowing the student to return to school.
The President said SHA had also expanded access to healthcare, with the number of facilities accessible to members rising to more than 10,700.
He further revealed that the government had paid Sh178 billion to contracted health facilities since the launch of the new system.
According to SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi, the authority has paid out Sh178.5 billion through its various funds, including Sh134 billion from the Social Health Insurance Fund and Sh23 billion from the Primary Healthcare Fund.
Ruto said the government had also sponsored nearly 560,000 vulnerable households, covering about 2.2 million Kenyans.
He maintained that the reforms were aimed at ensuring illness does not push families into poverty.
“Economic empowerment means little when illness can wipe out a family’s savings or push citizens into poverty,” Ruto said.
The President, however, acknowledged that the health reforms still face challenges.
He said the government must make SHA benefits easier to understand, speed up claims processing, improve digital systems and ensure consistent quality of care across health 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 two-day summit, running from August 18 to 19, is bringing together health sector stakeholders to assess the progress and challenges of Kenya’s universal healthcare reforms.