NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 1 – President William Ruto has dismissed criticism of the government’s Social Health Authority (SHA), saying opponents lack the capacity to understand or interpret the scale of reforms underway in the country’s healthcare system.Speaking during a meeting with Maendeleo ya Wanawake women, the Head of State defended the new health insurance scheme, terming it a transformative programme that is already delivering tangible benefits to millions of Kenyans.“Those saying SHA is not working have not even registered. Others are politicians driven by politics, not facts,” Ruto said.He was taking a swipe at his former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who had predicted the collapse of the programme within six months.The President accused a section of leaders of spreading misinformation about the programme, describing their claims as propaganda aimed at undermining government efforts.He cited recent remarks by opposition figures predicting the collapse of SHA within months, dismissing them as baseless.“Another one is a politician who is not interested in SHA, only in politics. You heard one recently claiming that SHA will collapse in six months. As President, I tried to find out where that information came from and I discovered he must have consulted witch doctors and traditional healers to come up with that claim,” Ruto said.He argued that the resistance mirrors past instances where major government projects were opposed, only to succeed later.“These are the same people who claimed Bomas had been sold to foreigners. Today, it is being developed and will be completed in a few months,” he added.The President said the Social Health Authority has so far registered over 30 million Kenyans within a year of its rollout, marking a significant shift from the previous system.He revealed that the government has already disbursed Sh121 billion to hospitals under the scheme the highest amount ever paid to health facilities in the country’s history.“We said no Kenyan should sell land, livestock, or property to pay hospital bills. With SHA, once you are registered, your medical costs are covered,” he said.Ruto noted that the impact of the programme is already being felt at the grassroots, with households receiving substantial medical support.“Today, you go to villages and hear people saying SHA paid Sh20,000, Sh50,000, Sh200,000, even up to Sh1 million for their treatment. Did you ever hear such stories before?” he posed.The President maintained that the government remains committed to expanding healthcare access through universal coverage, urging Kenyans to register for SHA and ignore what he termed as politically driven narratives.The SHA programme is part of the administration’s broader plan to overhaul the country’s healthcare system and ensure equitable access to medical services for all citizens.