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Why collaboration is key to universal health coverage in Kenya
Members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) demonstrate outside the Social Health Authority (SHA) headquarters in Nairobi on March 18, 2025.
Health is no longer just a personal concern; it has become a national economic priority. Over the past two years, Kenya’s healthcare landscape has undergone a transformative shift with the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the broader Social Health Authority (SHA) framework.
For millions of Kenyans, these reforms have changed how healthcare is accessed, financed, and perceived. They mark a major step forward in the pursuit of Universal Health Coverage, while also reshaping the role of private insurance within an increasingly integrated health ecosystem.
One message is emerging clearly from this transition; no single public or private actor can deliver UHC alone. Sustainable and equitable healthcare requires deliberate collaboration, where public systems provide the foundation of coverage, and private actors complement this effort through innovation, efficiency, and expanded choice.
Kenya’s healthcare system is complex and increasingly capable. The Kenya Health Facility Census Report (2023) assessed over 14,800 facilities across all 47 counties, finding that 47 percent are publicly owned, 46 percent privately operated, and eight percent faith-based or non-governmental.
Together, private and faith-based providers account for more than half of all service delivery points, underscoring the central role of non-state actors within Kenya’s mixed health system.
At the grassroots level, Community Health Workers anchor preventive and promotive care, while higher-level facilities deliver specialised and tertiary services highlighting the interdependence required across the system to achieve meaningful health outcomes.
The impact of the Social Health Authority (SHA) has been significant. Before its rollout in 2024, only 26 percent of Kenyans had any form of health insurance, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.
Today, the Ministry of Health reports that over 24 million citizens are enrolled under the Taifa Care programme, supported by the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
In Kenya, gross medical insurance premiums rose from Sh31.8 billion in 2022 to Sh55.2 billion in 2025, according to Insurance Regulatory Authority statistics.
Rwanda and Uganda have recorded similar upward trends, signaling rising demand for complementary health cover alongside public schemes.
Yet significant challenges persist. Access and outcomes continue to vary sharply across regions and income groups, while many facilities face infrastructure constraints, limited inpatient and critical care capacity, equipment gaps, and periodic stockouts of essential medicines.
As Kenya prepares to host the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in April 2026, its healthcare reforms will attract global attention.
Achieving Vision 2030 will depend on how well public and private actors work together to expand coverage, modernise infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and scale digital health solutions.
SHA has shown that progress is possible. What comes next will determine whether UHC remains a policy aspiration or becomes a lived reality for millions of Kenyans.
System-level issues, such as fragmented data, uneven referral pathways, and delayed reimbursements further affect service delivery.
International experience, including integrated health data platforms in Europe, demonstrates how stronger health information systems can improve planning, purchasing, and accountability an area where Kenya can continue to build momentum.
Across Kenya, sector organisations are actively contributing to the UHC agenda. Bodies such as the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA), the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK), and the Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) play a critical role in advocating for quality standards, equitable service delivery in underserved areas, and better integration of private and faith-based providers into national financing and digital health systems. These efforts offer practical examples of how public and private actors can align around access, quality, and sustainability.
Kenya’s experience mirrors broader regional and continental trends. Rwanda has achieved near-universal coverage through its Mutuelle de Santé scheme, with strong public primary care complemented by private and faith-based providers and supported by digital health planning tools.
Tanzania and Uganda further reinforce the importance of complementarity, as both invest in workforce expansion, primary healthcare integration, and digital systems, while relying on private sector participation to close gaps in specialised care and geographic access.
The summit’s focus on innovation, integration, and interdependence mirrors Kenya’s current reality, and the opportunity to prove that collaboration can turn reform into results.
