Ruto defends SHA, says money goes directly to hospitals
By Cy Muganda, September 2, 2025President William Ruto has defended the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying health funds are sent directly to health facilities rather than being routed through counties.
Speaking during an engagement with grassroots leaders from Turkana County at State House, Nairobi on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Ruto emphasised that the SHA system channels funds directly to individual health facilities, allowing them greater autonomy in procurement and operations.
“We don’t send money directly to the county. We send money directly to the dispensaries,” Ruto explained.
“The dispensaries can provide their medicines. They can pay their bills there,” he added.
Ruto further highlighted the establishment of Facility Improvement Funds as a key component of this strategy.
“I want to thank the counties that have created the Facility Improvement Fund in every facility,” he stated.
Addressing drug shortages
The head of state further acknowledged that drug shortages remain a persistent challenge across hospitals, noting that patients are often prescribed medicines that are unavailable in health centres.
He emphasised that his administration is working closely with governors to streamline supply chains and address the gaps.
“We have also agreed with our governors because the biggest problem in our hospitals is medicines. Someone goes to the hospital, they are prescribed a lot of medicines, at the end, there is no medicine,” he said.
To fix this, Ruto announced that the government has allocated additional funds to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to ensure a steady supply of drugs, stressing that medical supplies should be delivered directly to facilities rather than passing through multiple administrative levels.
“We don’t want another medicine to leave Nairobi and go to Lodwar. No. We want medicine to leave Nairobi and go to the hospital, like a dispensary, from Nairobi to the dispensary. Like a health centre, from Nairobi to the dispensary. So we are straightening that,” Ruto explained.
Necessary reforms
The Head of State further emphasised that although the reforms being implemented may not always be popular, they are essential for improving service delivery and strengthening the health system.
“For a very long time, we have been straightening it. Do you know the problem in Kenya? People don’t want to make the right decisions because they are not necessarily popular. But we must make them to change our nation,” he said.