President William Ruto has commended both former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and her successor, CS Deborah Barasa, for their contributions toward improving Kenya’s healthcare system. Speaking in Kiminini during the burial ceremony of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chair Wafula Chebukati, Ruto lauded their efforts in advancing universal healthcare.
Nakhumicha served as Health CS until June 2024, when Ruto reshuffled his Cabinet in response to Gen Z-led anti-government protests. The protests, which erupted over the now-repealed Finance Bill 2024, led to a drastic overhaul of the Cabinet, with Ruto appointing Barasa as part of his broad-based government.
Since taking office, CS Barasa has faced the challenge of implementing the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which was introduced in October 2024 to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). The new scheme aims to provide equal access to healthcare services for all Kenyans, regardless of their employment status or financial capability.
Ruto emphasized that the government is committed to making healthcare accessible and inclusive. He criticized the previous insurance model, which primarily benefited those with formal employment, and reiterated his administration’s focus on ensuring every citizen, including the unemployed and vulnerable, receives quality medical care.
“We used to have a health insurance scheme that only catered to those with jobs and those who were financially stable. That cannot continue,” Ruto said. “We want a healthcare system that treats all Kenyans equally.”
The President also assured Kenyans that his administration is addressing critical issues such as medicine shortages and lack of medical equipment in hospitals. He emphasized that strategic plans are in place to enhance service delivery in the sector.
Drumming up support for SHIF, Ruto stated that providing quality healthcare is not just a government promise but a constitutional obligation. “The Constitution mandates that healthcare must be of the highest quality and standard for every citizen. We are fulfilling both a manifesto commitment and a constitutional imperative,” he affirmed.
His remarks underscore the government’s renewed push to achieve universal healthcare, a key pillar in Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
