On Thursday, October 19, President William Ruto signed four newly passed healthcare laws into law.

The Social Health Insurance Bill, Primary Health Care Bill, Facility Improvement Financing Bill, and Digital Health Bill are the bills that were signed into law.

President Ruto stated that the Social Insurance Act, 2023 will remove financial obstacles to healthcare and address issues facing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) during a brief ceremony held at State House Nairobi.

The Act replaces NHIF by establishing the Social Health Authority.

The Kenya Kwanza administration of President Ruto has pledged to offer full coverage to every Kenyan through three new funds, namely the Primary Healthcare Fund and Social Health Insurance Fund.

In contrast, the Primary Healthcare Act, 2023 addresses Kenya’s healthcare disparities by emphasizing primary and preventative healthcare services.

The government is eager to support public health institutions through the institutions Improvement Financing Act, 2023, which will grant managerial and financial autonomy while guaranteeing improved resource management, service quality, and community involvement.

On the other hand, Kenyans can take advantage of digital health services thanks to a framework provided by the Digital Health Act, 2023.

The government claims that the act will enhance data exchange, establish e-health standards, and customize patient treatment.

The government claims that by using telemedicine, this will improve the standard of healthcare services and give communities more influence.

Taxes

However, additional taxes would be paid by Kenyans to cover the cost of the new services. In order to fund the services, Kenyans employed in the formal sector will have to contribute 2.75 percent of their monthly income each month.

Contributions are limited to Ksh300 for the lowest and Ksh5,000 for the maximum.