President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to register for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The President said the government is keen on ensuring that no one is left behind as the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) gets underway.
In the programme, he said, low-income earners will contribute as low as KS300 a month, while the government will pay for those who are unable.
The Head of State said the new strategy will ensure that no Kenyan is driven into poverty because of high medical bills.
“We now have a law that establishes the Critical Illness Fund, which will be used to meet the cost of illnesses such as cancer. No Kenyan will have to sell his property to pay medical bills,” he said.
He made the remarks during the opening of the Belgut Technical Training Institute and Belgut TTI Digital Hub in Kericho County. The President is on a development tour of the South Rift.
The Ministry of Health has announced that the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will be gazetted this week.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said it is no longer in doubt as the laws to operationalise the fund are in place.
Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) Regional Distribution Centre in Kisumu on Wednesday, the CS said that once SHIF is gazetted, a deduction of 2.75 per cent to the health insurance will take effect.
“The beauty is that for poor Kenyans who are unable to pay like the elderly, those living with a disability because they lack any form of income, the government will pay for them,” she said.