Five counties with some of the largest populations are still lagging in Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) registrations.

The regions – Garissa, Turkana, Mandera, Wajir and West Pokot – also happen to carry a large health burden.

The latest government data also reveals the top five counties with the highest registrations.

These are Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Lamu, and Embu.

Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa called on Kenyans to register.

“Be part of your county’s health success,” she said.

Bottom five

The bottom five counties by the percentage of the population registered shows that Garissa has recorded just 20,674 people against a target of 905,000, about 2.3 per cent.

The report also shows that Turkana has 27,840 people registered out of 926,976 targeted, about 3 per cent; while Mandera has 29,529 against a target of 867,457 or 3.4 per cent.

Elsewhere, Wajir has registered 32,087 people, against a target of 781,263 or 4.1 per cent and West Pokot 26,650 out of the targeted 621,241 or 4.3 per cent.

Of about 14 million Kenyans who have registered for SHIF, Ministry of Health data shows that 887,213 come from the five best-performing counties.

They are Nyeri (155,826, against a target of 759,164 or 20.5 per cent) and Kirinyaga (123,600 out of 610,411 or 20.3 per cent).

Kiambu, the most populous of the five best-performing counties, has 470,379 or 19.5 per cent against a target of 2,417,735.

Lamu has registered 26,275 or 18.3 per cent out of a target of 143,920, while Embu has listed 111,133 or 18.3 per cent against the targeted 608,599.