NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 27 – President William Ruto said Kenya is taking decisive steps to secure universal health coverage (UHC) through legislation designed to outlast political cycles.
Ruto emphasized that healthcare should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, noting that the government has enacted “transformative legislation” to institutionalize reforms.
The President highlighted the role of the Social Health Authority in implementing a unified financing model.
The system, he said, expands risk pooling, reduces out-of-pocket expenses, and ensures equitable access to healthcare regardless of income or location.
“To us, health is not a cost, it is an investment. We have enacted transformative legislation that establishes a durable framework for universal health coverage, ensuring that reforms are not dependent on political cycles, but are anchored in law, institutional continuity, and public accountability,” Ruto said.
Ruto, at the sametime Ruto accused cartels and individuals with vested interests of attempting to derail the rollout of the Social Health Authority cover for teachers and civil servants, insisting the programme remains firmly on track.
The President said the government is aware of efforts by powerful groups to frustrate the transition to the new health scheme, but maintained that such attempts will not succeed.