President William Ruto has announced that Kenyans currently enlisted in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) must undergo re-registration to avail themselves of benefits under the new Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Program.

Addressing residents of Chepalungu in Bomet, the president assured that the Ministry of Health will soon release detailed guidelines on the registration process for citizens.

He underscored the significance of the program in alleviating healthcare challenges, particularly for the economically disadvantaged.

“We are going to have our universal health coverage rolled out and you should start preparing yourself on how you will register afresh so that we may make sure that everybody is on the list of people who will receive free treatment in hospitals,” he said.

The president additionally affirmed that the government intends to lower the monthly contributions for individuals with low incomes and cover the entire costs for those unable to afford any payments.

Nonetheless, he clarified that the government will assess each Kenyan’s capacity to determine their contribution amount.

“We will cover the expenses for those with no financial capability whatsoever; those with limited means will contribute 300, and individuals with higher income, such as myself, will contribute more,” he remarked.

He further added, “We aim to ensure that no one has to sell their land or livestock to cover hospital bills; it is the government’s responsibility to handle healthcare expenses.”

The government is transitioning from the NHIF to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) that came into effect in October 2023.