President William Ruto during the launch of the National Equipment Support Programme (NESP), which replaces the controversial Managed Equipment Services (MES) programme/PCSPresident William Ruto has announced that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will triple the annual payouts previously made by the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Speaking at State House Nairobi during a meeting with county governors, the President defended SHA’s performance, dismissing claims that it has paid out less than NHIF.
“What a fallacy. In a year, the most NHIF ever paid was between Sh22 billion to Sh25 billion. In just 10 months, SHA has paid Sh56.4 billion,” Ruto said.
“By the first anniversary, SHA will have paid three times what NHIF ever did in a year.”
Ruto revealed that 25.2 million Kenyans have already been registered under SHA, with over 11,000 healthcare providers — including hospitals, clinics, and health centres — contracted nationwide.
“I urge the peddlers of narratives to check their facts, because facts are very stubborn — and numbers tell the story more than words can,” he added.
Since its rollout in October 2024, SHA has disbursed Sh49.7 billion from the Social Health Insurance Fund and Sh6.7 billion under the Primary Health Fund, for a total of Sh56.4 billion.
Ruto praised the digital system for offering more transparent and dignified access to healthcare.
During the event, Ruto officially launched the National Equipment Support Programme (NESP), which replaces the controversial Managed Equipment Services (MES) programme.
While MES — initiated in 2015 — was meant to lease specialised medical equipment to counties, it drew widespread criticism over transparency concerns and inefficiencies.
NESP seeks to correct MES’s flaws by ensuring vendors supply, maintain, and upgrade medical equipment without counties paying upfront.
Instead, counties will make payments based on actual services rendered, a model aimed at improving value for money and accountability.
“The goal is to ensure our county health facilities have continuous, affordable access to essential medical equipment,” the President stated.
Ruto also acknowledged the pivotal role of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in rolling out SHA nationwide. He particularly praised Nairobi County, which has enrolled over 1.9 million residents into the system.
He urged more Kenyans to register under SHA, saying data-driven enrollment is essential for effective and equitable health service delivery.
