Ruto signs four Universal Health Care Bills into law

President William Ruto has signed the Universal Health Care Bill, which is set to support the improvement of the Universal Health Coverage plan.

The Bills are the Social Health Insurance Bill, Digital Health Bill, Primary Healthcare Bill, and the Facility Improvement Financing Bill, which were passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday. 

The Digital Health Bill aims to promote telemedicine and digitise health services by ending written transactions.

The Primary Healthcare Bill aims to strengthen preventive health services by co-opting the 100,000 community health promoters commissioned by the President recently.

The Social Health Insurance Bill abolishes the National Health Insurance Fund and creates three new funds: a Primary Health Care Fund, a Social Health Insurance Fund and a Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund.

The Facility Improvement Financing Bill will restrict funds raised in public health facilities so that those funds are not put to other uses outside of health.

The signing of the bills comes ahead of the UHC plan launch in Kericho County on Friday during the Mashujaa Day Celebrations. 

The President acknowledged that the effort to sign the bills was not a single-person task. 

"The people of Kenya talked loudly for a system that leaves nobody begins, where families do not lose their properties or savings due to illness," he said. 

He noted that the plan was put together the last two years, ahead of campaigns, adding that no one knew the plans were going g to be laws in Kenya. 

"My team of advisors was so committed to this plan, not forgetting the team in parliament who have delivered. I also want to congratulate the creativity of Parliament, MPs gave the amendment they wanted to the Senate and vice vasa to improve the quality of this law," he said.