Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has taken a swipe at the Ministry of Health, demanding an urgent review of the Social Health Authority (SHA) guidelines that require contributors to pay for their medical cover by the 9th of every month.
Waiguru criticized the rigid deadline, arguing that county employees across Kenya are being unfairly locked out of healthcare services due to late remittances caused by delayed disbursements from the national government. She insisted that county workers should be exempted from the strict payment deadline since the delays are beyond their control.
Speaking in Kutus during the launch of the National Government’s Health Digitization Initiative, Waiguru defended SHA’s potential but warned against allowing politics to derail its implementation. “SHA is working, and Kenyans should continue enrolling instead of listening to politicians who are busy condemning it without offering solutions,” she said.
She revealed that Kirinyaga County has already received Ksh.75 million from SHA for services provided to patients and has enrolled 262,643 residents—about 43% of the county’s population. The county now aims to push registration to 65% by December 2025.
At the same time, Waiguru championed health digitization, stating that the shift to electronic records will eliminate paperwork, improve efficiency, and provide real-time patient data to healthcare workers. “We are laying the foundation for a more transparent and responsive healthcare system,” she said.
Kirinyaga is now the third county to roll out health digitization, which includes training health workers, providing digital devices, and fully eliminating paper-based systems.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai praised Waiguru for lobbying for the digitization program while serving as the Council of Governors Chair, acknowledging her role in pushing the agenda forward.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto’s Senior Advisor Moses Kuria warned private and faith-based hospitals to embrace SHA, insisting that it “is here to stay.” He declared that all rollout issues had been addressed, adding, “The goal is to make Kirinyaga fully paperless in healthcare and ensure an evidence-based system.”
Waiguru’s sharp criticism now puts pressure on the national government to either adjust the SHA policies or risk county workers being unfairly locked out of medical services. Will the Ministry of Health bow to pressure, or will struggling county employees be left stranded?
