Duale highlights key reforms at 2026 Kenya Health Summit

President William Ruto announced that over 500,000 surgeries have been performed and more than 50,000 cancer patients treated under the Social Health Authority (SHA) since the introduction of Kenya's new health insurance system, SHA. In a social media post on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Ruto noted that 32.3 million Kenyans are currently registered under SHA, a significant increase from the eight million beneficiaries under the previous National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Ruto highlighted that SHA has received over Ksh209 billion and paid out over Ksh178 billion to healthcare facilities across all 47 counties, supporting treatment for eight million citizens.

The Kenya Health Summit in Nairobi from August 18 to 19, 2026, is evaluating the progress of health reforms and outlining priorities for the next phase of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stated that SHA has registered 32.3 million Kenyans, and over 10,000 health facilities are now accredited to provide services.

Duale also discussed investments in specialized healthcare, including the deployment of 862 specialized medical equipment units to 251 facilities in 44 counties through the National Equipment Service Programme.

The summit, with the theme "Reforms Delivered, Health as a Right," brings together various stakeholders including national and county governments, healthcare professionals, development partners, the private sector, and other actors. President Ruto emphasized that over Ksh23.3 billion has been spent through the Primary Health Care Fund to support more than 20 million outpatient visits, benefiting more than 15 million Kenyans. Maternal healthcare has received Ksh17 billion in support for services like deliveries.

These figures follow the government's expansion of SHA and Taifa Care, which replaced NHIF in October 2024 under the Social Health Insurance Act. The new system aims to pool funds for healthcare and enhance access to primary, secondary, and specialized services. The government has also intensified the use of digital systems for healthcare management, with the Digital Health Agency distributing over 42,000 devices to support Taifa Care, including electronic medical records, biometric verification, and real-time SHA claims processing.