By Kelly Mumbi
Health Cabinet Secretary Nakhumicha S. Wafula supervised a successful pilot for household registration into the Social Health Authority (SHA) at Matasia Health Center in Kajiado County.
Joined by Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo, SHA Chair Dr. Timothy Olweny, and Transition Committee Chair Kap-Kirwok Jason, she emphasized the importance of healthcare reforms and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The second phase of the pilot, led by Nakhumicha at Matasia Health Center, involved testing digital registration at both households and the health facility.
The government has trained over 100,000 community health promoters to enhance primary healthcare.
Nakhumicha praised these promoters in Kajiado and urged the county government to ensure they are properly compensated. Kajiado Health CEC Alex Kilowua announced further training and the “Mbuzi Moja” program to increase UHC beneficiaries.
The “Mbuzi Moja” program is an innovative initiative under Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) aimed at expanding Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by encouraging community participation and support.
“Mbuzi Moja,” which translates to “One Goat,” is designed to leverage community resources and solidarity to increase health coverage.
The program’s name reflects the idea of community members contributing small amounts (the equivalent value of one goat) to support collective health insurance.
The primary goal of the program is to increase the number of people covered under UHC by pooling resources at the community level.
This helps to ensure that even the most vulnerable members of society can access essential health services without financial barriers.
Community members are encouraged to contribute the equivalent of one goat’s value to a communal health fund.
This pooled fund is then used to pay for health insurance premiums, expanding coverage to more individuals within the community.
The program is administered at the local level, with community leaders and health promoters playing a key role in mobilizing contributions and managing the funds.
This ensures transparency and trust within the community.
“Mbuzi Moja” is integrated into the broader framework of the SHA, complementing other health financing mechanisms and digital registration processes.
It serves as a grassroots effort to support the national UHC goals.
The SHA aims to transform Kenya’s healthcare system to achieve UHC, ensuring all Kenyans can access essential services without financial hardship.