President William Ruto has highlighted the Social Health Authority (SHA) reforms as a critical issue ahead of the 2027 General Election, accusing opposition leaders of threatening to reverse key healthcare improvements by pledging to dismantle the scheme.

Speaking on July 25, 2026, at State House during a gathering with over 7,000 Nairobi County Community Health Promoters, Ruto warned that reverting to the old National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) system would undermine efforts to broaden healthcare access and improve hospital financing.

Key points from President Ruto’s address include:

  • SHA has expanded enrolment to 32 million Kenyans, a significant increase from about eight million under NHIF.
  • Monthly hospital payments under SHA have risen to Ksh12 billion, compared to Ksh5.6 billion every three months previously.
  • Reversing SHA reforms would risk undoing progress made in universal health coverage.

Ruto referred to opposition calls to abolish SHA as a dangerous step backward, emphasizing that the new system is central to his administration’s healthcare agenda.

Meanwhile, the SHA continues to manage legacy NHIF payment disputes by inviting healthcare providers owed Ksh10 million or less to submit claims for verification before the July 31 deadline. The authority will review submissions within three weeks and communicate outcomes to providers, aiming to resolve outstanding payment issues as it rolls out the new financing system.

Opposition Criticism of SHA

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has openly criticized the SHA, warning of an imminent collapse. Speaking on June 10, 2026, during a United Alternative Government briefing, Gachagua claimed that system outages over recent days signal a failing health scheme that could trigger a nationwide crisis.

Opposition leaders, including Gachagua, have raised concerns over unpaid hospital bills, particularly affecting faith-based and private facilities. The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader alleges that hospitals are collectively owed up to Ksh90 million, a debt that threatens some facilities’ ability to continue operations.