Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has declared that the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA) is irreversible, citing the registration of over 29.4 million Kenyans as a great milestone towards achieving universal health care for all.
Speaking on Friday 13th February 2026 ,while chairing the 29th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) at his official residence in Karen, Nairobi, Prof. Kindiki said the programme had reached a point of no return.
“The SHA programme has reached a level of irreversibility. We have to perfect it. With all these millions of Kenyans on board, we cannot imagine this programme not working. It will amount to letting the whole country down on such an important issue,” he said.
The Deputy President noted that the government’s broader health agenda under Taifa Care is steadily gaining momentum, pointing to a sharp rise in beneficiaries from the previous seven million under the former NHIF scheme to 29.4 million under SHA.
“Taifa Care is becoming universal because one of the aspects of universality is in the numbers. From 7 million NHIF beneficiaries to now 29.4 million Kenyans under SHA. We are keeping on towards 40 million and above, then we can truly say we have a Universal Healthcare programme,” said the DP.
Prof. Kindiki urged stakeholders across the health sector to close ranks and streamline service delivery to eliminate bottlenecks.
He assured counties and health institutions of the national government’s support in driving continued enrolment and ensuring adequate supply of medicines and medical equipments.
IBEC encouraged the Ministry of Health, the Council of Governors and other stakeholders to sustain engagement and resolve outstanding operational challenges affecting implementation of the programme.
A report presented to the council indicated that more than Sh142 billion has so far been collected in SHA premiums, with Sh102.3 billion already disbursed to health facilities as payment for services rendered to patients across the country.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale also speaking told the meeting that payments to 1,287 health facilities remain pending due to inaccurate details submitted for processing.
“We urge the 1,287 health facilities to urgently provide accurate bank details to clear pending payments by the end of the month. We cannot pay them because of inaccurate bank details,” said Duale.
The council further resolved that county governments should expedite the signing up for installation of medical equipment under the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP).
However counties were also asked to facilitate the signing of addendums to ensure sustainable funding for maintenance of the equipment.
In a boost to maternal healthcare, IBEC directed the National Treasury to immediately release Sh2 billion to kick-start free maternal services in Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities nationwide.
The move is expected to ease the financial burden on expectant mothers, particularly in rural areas.
Counties were also challenged to emulate Murang’a, Migori, Trans Nzoia and Mombasa, which have taken the initiative to pay SHA premiums for vulnerable residents and indigent households within their jurisdictions.
Beyond healthcare, the meeting addressed housing and land reforms aimed at accelerating affordable housing projects.
The DP further directed the Ministry of Lands to work closely with the Council of Governors and relevant agencies to fast-track approval of housing plans and transfer of title deeds to support ongoing projects.
Lands and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome who was presented emphasized that improved cooperation with counties would hasten completion of housing units being implemented jointly by the two levels of government.
“Titling is a critical enabler of affordable housing. It ensures legal certainty and investor confidence. We know that over 50 per cent of the houses in the counties will be owned by residents. Let’s work together to make the collaboration better and stronger and we are seeing better results,” she said.
At the same time Prof Kindiki assured governors from drought-affected counties that the national government remains committed to support affected families through food relief and livestock feed support.
He revealed that the National Treasury had allocated Sh3.5 billion in November, Sh2.5 billion in December, Sh3.5 billion in January and Sh4 billion in February to mitigate the impact of drought across the country .
“We are doing everything possible to make sure we don’t lose human life and livestock. The National Treasury has been fully supportive,” Prof. Kindiki said.
The IBEC meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Governors, chairpersons of commissions and independent offices, alongside other stakeholders.
Edited by John Majau
