President William Samoei Ruto has hit back at claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will collapse within six months, dismissing the remarks as baseless and driven by propaganda.

Speaking at State House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Annual General Meeting (AGM), President Ruto defended the government’s flagship health insurance programme, insisting it is working and delivering tangible benefits to millions of Kenyans.

In a sharp rebuttal, the Head of State mocked the source of Gachagua’s claims, suggesting they were not grounded in facts.

“Hata nasikia mwingine alisema juzi ati ako na habari kwamba SHA itacollapse in six months. Kwa sababu Mimi ni rais, nilijaribu kuchunguza, hii habari, alitoa wapi. Nikagundua kwamba alienda akaongea na waganga na wachawi ndo wakamwambia hiyo,” Ruto said.

He added that critics spreading such claims were engaging in idle talk and were not new to opposing government programmes.

The president revealed that over 30 million Kenyans have already registered under SHA, describing the uptake as a major milestone in the country’s push toward universal health coverage.

Payment of claims

According to Ruto, the government has paid out Ksh121 billion to hospitals within one year of the programme’s rollout, the highest amount ever disbursed to health facilities in Kenya’s history.

“Leo, wakenya million 30 wamejisajili kwenye SHA. Kwa mwaka mmoja tangu tuianzishe tumelipa gharama ya billioni 121 kwa mahospitali Kenya, the highest ever paid amount to the hospitals in the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

Ruto emphasised that the core goal of SHA is to shield Kenyans from catastrophic health expenses that often force families to sell property or livestock.

“Tumesema hatutaki tena mtu auze shamba yake, mali yake ama ng’ombe ati kwenda kulipa gharama ya hospitali. Gharama ya hospitali ilipwe na bima ya afya inayosimamiwa na serikali, bora mwananchi amejisajili ndani ya SHA,” he stated.

He added that many households are already benefiting, citing cases where individuals have had medical bills of tens or even hundreds of thousands of shillings covered by the scheme.

He accused opponents of spreading misinformation about SHA for political reasons, arguing that some critics have neither registered for the programme nor taken time to understand how it works.

“Kwanza mwenye anakosoa hajajisajili, na mwingine ni mwanasiasa ambaye hana haja na SHA, anafuata siasa,” he said.

Ruto maintained that such narratives are intended to undermine public confidence in the programme.

Gachagua’s claims

The exchange marks the latest escalation in political tensions between Ruto and his former deputy, Gachagua, who has recently emerged as a vocal critic of the government’s policies.

Gachagua had claimed that the SHA system is unsustainable and could collapse within six months, remarks that have now drawn a direct and personal response from the president.

Speaking during a church service at ACK Diocese of Kirinyaga, Ndia Constituency in Kirinyaga County on Sunday, March 29, 2026, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader sounded an alarm over growing concerns over delayed payments to hospitals.

Gachagua said he had credible information indicating that the system is under severe financial strain.

“We have a big challenge with our hospitals. I have information that SHA will collapse in another six months, and there will be a major crisis of unknown magnitude in the health sector,” Gachagua warned.

Despite the criticism, Ruto expressed confidence that the health insurance scheme will continue to grow and deliver on its promise of universal healthcare.

He urged more Kenyans to register, insisting that the programme is already transforming access to medical services across the country.