President William Ruto has unveiled a new payment plan aimed at making it easier for informal sector workers to contribute to the Social Health Authority (SHA). Speaking during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations in Homa Bay, the President introduced the initiative dubbed “Lipa SHA Pole Pole,” which allows contributors to pay for their annual SHA health insurance in small, manageable instalments daily, weekly, or monthly based on their financial ability.
He explained that the enrolment process is straightforward and accessible. Citizens can dial *147# and follow the prompts to register and begin making contributions immediately.
Since the launch of the broader national health insurance scheme, Taifa Care, in October 2024, over 23 million Kenyans have registered, with an average of 50,000 new sign-ups being recorded every day.
President Ruto assured Kenyans that the government has allocated sufficient resources to fully fund primary healthcare services. Over the past eight months, Ksh43 billion has been disbursed in claims to health facilities, and more than 4.5 million Kenyans have received treatment fully covered by SHA. He also confirmed that all Kenyans can access free emergency services across the country, funded through the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund.
To address long-standing challenges like irregular contributions among informal sector workers, the President said the new flexible payment model will help families maintain continuous health insurance without straining their finances. He added that this will also support the long-term sustainability of the national health insurance program.
So far, 1.7 million households from the informal sector have successfully enrolled and paid for social health insurance, marking the highest uptake in this group in the country’s history.
The rollout of Lipa SHA Pole Pole is the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs, mobile network providers, financial institutions, and the Hustler Fund.
President Ruto concluded by urging all Kenyans to unite in building a health system that ensures every citizen has access to quality care without financial hardship.
