Kenya is seeing a surge in digital health registrations, with citizens signing up for the new Social Health Authority (SHA) system at an astonishing rate of 1,000 per second, according to Moses Kuria, a Senior Advisor on President William Ruto’s Council of Economic Advisors.
Kuria says this uptake reflects the growing shift toward digital solutions in healthcare as part of the country’s broader technological leap forward.
He highlighted this development in a post on social media on Friday, September 27, 2024, comparing the SHA system’s registration speed to mobile money giant, MPesa, which he said handles 4,000 transactions per second.
“Kenyans are registering on the Social Health Authority System at the rate of 1,000 per second. This is 25% of the rate of 4,000 Transactions per second on MPESA,” Kuria said.
Ruto’s economic advisor added that thousands of other Kenyans are waiting to be onboarded into the SHA system after applying for the same.
“Currently, there is a queue of 50,000 applications that are waiting to be updated,” he said.
Kuria additionally bragged that Kenya’s digital uptake could potentially make the first world jealous.
“The uptake of Digital technology in Kenya can turn the developed world green with envy,” he said.
36 million Kenyans targetted
Kuria’s sentiments come days after the government tasked the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) with overseeing the SHA registration.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said NGAOs have been tasked to ensure the registration of 12 million households, approximately 36 million people.
The CS noted that the government intends to meet the target within a short time frame.
“The Government has given National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) across the Country with the support of the Community Health Promoters (CHP), a target of mobilizing the registration of 12 million households , approximately 36 million Kenyans into the Social Health Insurance to enable the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“Like we have done with other national programs, we intend to meet this target in the shortest possible time. The Ministry of Interior is proud to be associated with this historic and defining program,” Kindiki said in a statement on X on September 25, 2024.
The SHA system was introduced as part of President Ruto’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, which aims to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to all Kenyans.
The system replaces the longstanding National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and promises a more streamlined, digitally-focused approach to health services.
It will officially take over from the NHIF on October 1, 2024, marking the end of an era in Kenya’s public health insurance model​.
