Samburu County is making impressive strides in its quest to improve access to healthcare by embracing successful strategies from top-performing counties like Mombasa, Bomet, and Nyeri in the ongoing Social Health Authority (SHA) TaifaCare registration drive.
Samburu West Member of Parliament Naisula Lesuuda, alarmed by the county’s poor ranking 47 out of 47 took action by leading an intensive community mobilisation campaign to increase registration numbers. Inspired by the performance of leading counties, Lesuuda spearheaded a multi-faceted awareness and registration drive that has already started yielding results.
“Two weeks ago, Samburu was at the bottom. Now, we’ve moved to position 44 with over 54,000 people registered. It’s a good start, but our goal is 100 per cent coverage,” said Lesuuda. Her campaign, launched on June 3rd in partnership with county leaders and SHA officers, features on-ground outreach and education efforts to ensure more residents understand and register for the programme.
SHA, which has replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), is central to Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals. Only registered individuals can benefit from government-funded healthcare services, including the upcoming Ksh 13.1 billion allocation for primary healthcare and Ksh 8 billion for emergency, chronic, and critical illnesses in the 2025/2026 budget.
Lesuuda emphasized that without registration, Samburu residents risk missing out on essential health services. “That money will not reach unregistered people. We must act now, at home, in churches, and villages. Everyone has a role,” she urged.
Her efforts align with President William Ruto’s national push for UHC, as highlighted during the recent Madaraka Day celebrations. The President launched the ‘Lipa SHA Pole Pole’ initiative, allowing flexible, instalment-based health coverage payments, particularly aiding those in the informal sector.
Additionally, the government has announced a transition from the Managed Equipment Services model to the more efficient National Equipment Supply Programme, ensuring counties receive medical equipment tailored to their needs on a fee-for-service basis.
With continued momentum, Samburu County is determined to rise through the ranks and ensure quality, equitable healthcare for all its residents.
