Ruto shames county govts for failure to pay Community Health Promoters
By Cynthia Lodite, September 4, 2025President William Ruto has called out county governments for undermining the work of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) by failing to pay them.
Ruto called out the governors on Thursday, September 4, 2025, during his visit to Mombasa County for the Mombasa International Agricultural Show.
At the time, Ruto accused a section of counties, excluding Mombasa County, of failing to pay the community health promoters working towards ensuring Kenyans at the grassroots level are registered to the Social Health Insurance Fund.
“I know that sometimes there are challenges. I know there are counties like Mombasa who are paying CHPs, but there are other counties who are not paying CHPs. What a shame!” Ruto said.
The Head of State further assured all the Community Health Promoters that he had instructed the Ministry of Health to ensure that they would receive their money.
“I have instructed the Ministry of Health to make sure that as we pay all the other workers, CHPs must have their money,” Ruto affirmed.
Likewise, Ruto acknowledged that when the story of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is told in the future, the unsung heroes will be the Community Health Promoters (CHPs).
SHA registration
At the time, he acknowledged the efforts made by the CHP workers, making it possible for Kenyans from grassroots areas to be able to register for Social Health Insurance.
Ruto also revealed that the dedicated men and women working for CHP are the backbone of primary healthcare, walking from door to door, often in challenging conditions, to educate, sensitise, and support households.
“When the history of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is going to be written, the heroes of Universal Health, the men and women who have made it possible for us to be able to register citizens in SHA, those people who have participated by going door-to-every-home and every village from morning until evening, are the CHPs,” Ruto said.
It’s worth noting the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) programme was an initiative set up in the Ministry of Health to help raise awareness, educate, and facilitate the registration of Kenyans to the newly adopted Social Health Insurance at the grassroots level.