President William Ruto has ordered that every prisoner in Kenya should be registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), arguing that prisoners deserve to be given proper health care just like every other person.
He made the announcement during the 46th Passing Out Parade ceremony at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru on Thursday, where 3,862 recruits graduated after nine months of paramilitary and professional training and are set to join the Kenya Prisons Service.
The president stated that the process of enrolling the inmates has already begun and so far, 56 percent of the prisoners have been enrolled. “It is my instruction that all prisoners be registered under SHA, so that when they fall ill, they can receive appropriate medical treatment just like every other Kenyan.”
The process will be taken to prisons and probation centers across the country.
Official records show that Kenya has 60,000 inmates in 140 prisons and correctional facilities across the country. The prisons are 134 for adults and three for younger offenders (two Borstals and one Youthful Correctional Training Centre).
The President stated that the government will cover the insurance premium for the inmates through the State Department for Correctional Services and emphasized the government’s responsibility to care for its inmates.
In order for the inmates to be able to access health care under the Social Health Authority, they must have a national ID. To speed up the process of enrolling the inmates, the government has started enrolling inmates who do not have ID cards.
Under the Social Health Authority, the inmates will be able to access primary health care services at Level 2 and Level 3 facilities. In addition to this, they will be able to access health care services through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
Ruto stated that the government has been working hard to attain Universal Health Coverage and that 30 million Kenyans are already registered under the Social Health Authority. The president stated that the government has to make sure no Kenyan is left behind when it comes to health care.
