President William Ruto has launched his strongest defence yet of the Social Health Authority (SHA), insisting the new health insurance system is delivering better services than the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) despite mounting criticism over system failures, delayed payments and unresolved debts inherited from its predecessor.
Speaking during an engagement with Community Health Promoters (CHPs), the President said the government's healthcare reforms are already producing visible results, pointing to higher payments to hospitals, increased health insurance registration and stronger support for frontline health workers. He maintained that abandoning SHA and returning to NHIF would reverse progress made under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
“We have changed our health system. Today SHA is performing ten times more than NHIF was performing,” Ruto said.
The President dismissed calls by some political leaders to reinstate NHIF, arguing that such proposals ignore the progress already achieved under the new healthcare financing model.
To back his claims, Ruto compared the performance of SHA with that of NHIF, saying the new authority is releasing far more money to health facilities than its predecessor.
According to the President, NHIF used to disburse about Sh5.6 billion every three months, while SHA is now paying approximately Sh12 billion every month.
He also said the number of Kenyans enrolled under the new system has risen sharply, with SHA registering 32 million people compared to about eight million who were covered by NHIF.
“We must speak the truth. We must set politics aside. Our nation is changing, and health is changing,” he said.
President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, during an engagement with Community Health Promoters (CHPs)on July 25, 2026.
PHOTO/PCS
Ruto further said public hospitals are receiving more funding under the new model because money now goes directly to healthcare facilities.
He cited Riruta Hospital in Nairobi as an example, saying it previously received about Sh200,000 every month but is now getting more than Sh6 million through SHA.
According to the President, similar improvements are being experienced in hospitals across the country as the government continues to implement the reforms.
Beyond healthcare financing, Ruto said the government has strengthened primary healthcare by formally recognising Community Health Promoters and equipping them with training, stipends, medical kits and digital devices to support their work.
He pledged continued government support, saying more resources will be provided to improve the welfare of Community Health Promoters and help them deliver quality primary healthcare services.
Ruto said the healthcare reforms are part of his administration's wider development agenda alongside affordable housing, agriculture and education.
The President also criticised politicians who have pledged to scrap SHA if they form the next government.
Without naming anyone, he said those calling for a return to NHIF have failed to present better policy alternatives and warned that reversing ongoing reforms would slow the country's development.
He further linked criticism of SHA to opposition against other government programmes, including affordable housing, modern markets and student accommodation projects, accusing his political rivals of seeking to roll back development initiatives.
Ruto's remarks come days after Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale renewed calls for the government to reconsider SHA and restore NHIF.
Khalwale argued that the President should apply the same approach used in withdrawing the controversial university funding model to the healthcare reforms.
The senator said he had opposed both the differentiated university funding model and SHA while serving as Government Chief Whip, maintaining that concerns raised by Kenyans should be taken seriously.
His remarks followed Ruto's announcement that the government would abandon the means-tested university funding model after admitting that it had failed to achieve its intended objectives.
Even with the government's positive assessment, SHA continues to face criticism from patients, healthcare providers and opposition leaders over persistent system glitches, delayed processing of claims and unpaid NHIF debts inherited during the transition.
Many hospitals have reported operational challenges since SHA replaced NHIF on October 1, 2024, with delayed reimbursements and system reliability remaining among the main concerns raised by healthcare providers.
The government, however, maintains that the reforms are beginning to produce measurable results.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recently told Parliament that more than 31.2 million Kenyans have registered under SHA.
He also said the government has established 228 Primary Care Networks, recruited more than 107,000 Community Health Promoters and set aside Sh4 billion to clear verified NHIF debts owed to healthcare providers.