President William Ruto said the Social Health Authority (SHA) will pay all October claims by next week.

Speaking during the state of the nation address in Parliament, the president said that free primary healthcare is becoming increasingly available at every health centre.

“SHA will pay all October claims in full by next week and will continue to do so going forward,” he said.

He reiterated his observations that SHA is a medical revolutionary for all, regardless of financial status.

Ruto pointed out that for far too long, too many households have lived on the edge, just one disease away from financial catastrophe.

He lamented that the healthcare system has historically neglected the poor and vulnerable, leaving them with no options, while private sector medical coverage has remained out of reach for the majority.

“This is exactly what we will correct by providing universal healthcare (Taifa Care),” he said.

“This agenda is not just a promise; is a bold commitment to deliver health through transformative financing reforms, making healthcare accessible and affordable, digitizing healthcare services to increase efficiency, eliminate fraud and stop corruption, and empower a skilled healthcare workforce and motivated.”

He said the shift from the National Health Insurance Fund model to Taifa Care was fundamental and radical in both scale and character.

NHIF, Ruto said, served a few salaried Kenyans and those who could pay, but Taifa Care covers every Kenyan regardless of their employment status.

Secondly, despite serving a limited class of citizens, he added, the NHIF has still accumulated billions of shillings in debt due to the misalignment between contributions and the actual cost of healthcare.

Ruto noted that Taifa Care has undertaken accurate costing of all healthcare related goods and services to provide timely, efficient and effective services to all.

“Furthermore, NHIF had a waiting period, which lasted between registration and eligibility for services. Under Taifa Care, citizens are eligible for all services upon registration,” he said.

The President urged every Kenyan to take the most important step in securing reliable healthcare for themselves and their families.

“Register now or at the earliest opportunity,” he said adding that more than 15 million Kenyans have registered so far.

He said once the transition from NHIF to SHA is complete, Kenya will have a health system that guarantees dignity, peace of mind and equitable services for all.