Vihiga County has made history by becoming the first county in Kenya to enroll its employees in the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund (POMS) under the Social Health Authority (SHA), marking a key milestone in the rollout of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The agreement, signed on Tuesday between the Ministry of Health through SHA and the Vihiga County Government, will provide over 3,000 county staff with comprehensive medical cover starting October 1, 2025.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who led the ministry’s delegation, hailed the move as a landmark achievement under the Taifa Care Model.
He said the agreement would not only safeguard the wellbeing of public officers but also strengthen the delivery of people-centered healthcare services.
In addition, CS Duale witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SHA, the Ministry of Health, and the Vihiga County Government aimed at enhancing access to affordable and equitable healthcare for residents.
A Joint Implementation Committee will be formed to oversee activities under the partnership.
The discussions also touched on strategies to improve maternal health, with a focus on antenatal services, safe deliveries—including both normal and caesarean births—and postnatal care.
Duale emphasized the ministry’s zero-tolerance policy on fraud and malpractice within SHA, stressing that “protecting public resources and ensuring fairness in healthcare access is central to UHC.”
The CS further noted that ongoing health sector reforms are anchored on digitization.
These include biometric registration—already rolled out in Level 4, 5, and 6 hospitals and now being extended to lower-level facilities—as well as the introduction of Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) in counties to improve accountability, eliminate ghost records, and enhance professional standards.
