Speaking during his state address on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, President Ruto revealed that over 27 million Kenyans are now registered, with daily enrollments exceeding 30,000.

“The Health Authority is now the engine of universal health coverage. More than 27 million Kenyans have registered with daily enrollment exceeding 30,000,” he said.

President Ruto explained that SHA brings together several critical components of the health ecosystem, including the Primary Health Care Fund, the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, and the Contributory Social Health Insurance Fund.

“SHAR brings together the Primary Health Care Fund, Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and the Contributory Social Health Insurance Fund, including what we have brought together under the health ecosystem, including one piece of legislation that we are still waiting for passage in Parliament,” he noted.

In terms of funding, the President highlighted government allocations for the current financial year: Ksh 13 billion to the Primary Health Fund and Ksh 8 billion to the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, supplemented by county revenues and other sources.

“In the current financial year, we have allocated 13 billion shillings to the Primary Health Fund and 8 billion shillings to the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, supplemented by county revenues and other sources,” he said.

He also emphasized efforts to improve access to safe and affordable medical products through reforms at the Kenya Medical Supply Authority (KEMSA), now repositioned as the National Procurement, Warehousing and Distribution Agency.

“We have allocated 1.5 billion shillings to capitalise KEMSA and established a Kenya shillings 10 billion line of credit, targeting a 90% order fill rate and reliable availability of essential medicines and commodities nationwide by the end of this year,” President Ruto explained.

The President praised county governments and highlighted the role of legislation in solidifying reforms:

“To solidify reforms, we enacted four transformative pieces of legislation and I am very proud that this is giving us a very sound footing on how to deliver universal health. I am confident that they will continue in that spirit as the quality of care and patient safety bill is now under consideration in Parliament.”

President Ruto emphasized that primary health services in all SHA-accredited facilities, including public, private, and faith-based institutions, are now funded by the Government of Kenya, underscoring strong partnerships, especially with the World Health Organization (WHO), as critical to the country’s health agenda.

“With strong partnerships, especially with WHO, Kenya is firmly on the path to achieving universal health coverage. Professor Janabi, once again, and your team at WHO, I thank you for your partnership and steadfast commitment to health of not just Kenya, but also our region,” he said.

President Ruto concluded that with SHA at the helm, Universal Health Coverage is now a reality for more Kenyans than ever, signaling a new era of accessible, quality healthcare across the country.

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Addressing a press conference on Monday at Delta House in Nairobi, Governor Abdullahi expressed deep concern over the delay in disbursement of critical health sector finances, warning that counties cannot be expected to absorb new healthcare workers without the requisite funding.

“We are calling on the National Treasury to immediately disburse the funds earmarked for healthcare. Counties cannot be forced to take up additional responsibilities, such as employment of health personnel, without the necessary budgetary support,” said Governor Abdullahi.

The statement comes in the wake of mounting pressure from the national government for counties to absorb medical interns and other healthcare workers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework.

Governors argue that the ongoing fiscal delays have left counties financially crippled, making it impossible to meet the increasing wage bill and operational demands in the health sector.

In addition to funding concerns, the CoG raised the alarm over what it described as the “systemic failure” of both the E-Procurement System and the newly launched electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS),key platforms meant to enhance transparency and efficiency in health service delivery.

Governor Abdullahi noted that the National Government’s e-procurement platform, which counties are mandated to use for purchasing medical supplies and services, has become increasingly unreliable.

“The e-procurement system is largely dysfunctional. Counties are experiencing delays, frequent downtimes, and procurement bottlenecks that are crippling service delivery. This is untenable,” he said.

On the eCHIS, which was introduced as part of the UHC rollout, governors say the system has failed to function effectively at the grassroots level.

The platform, which was intended to digitize health data collection and improve decision-making at community level, is reportedly plagued by technical issues and inadequate training for users.

“The eCHIS system is simply not working as promised. There is poor internet connectivity in remote areas, lack of equipment, and limited capacity building for community health workers,” Governor Abdullahi emphasized

The CoG warned that the current situation could plunge counties into a full-blown health crisis if not addressed urgently.

Several county governments have already flagged difficulties in sustaining services at public health facilities due to budget constraints, delayed disbursements, and technical system failures.

Governors reaffirmed their commitment to providing quality healthcare services but insisted that devolution must be respected and supported with adequate resources and functional systems.

“We support Universal Health Coverage, but it must be implemented in a structured, consultative, and adequately funded manner. Devolution cannot succeed if counties are overburdened and underfunded,” Abdullahi added.

The CoG has requested an urgent consultative meeting with the Ministry of Health, the National Treasury, and the Office of the President to iron out the ongoing issues and find sustainable solutions for healthcare financing and system implementation.

Until then, governors say counties will not move forward with absorbing new healthcare workers without formal guarantees of funding.

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