NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 31 – Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga has called on churches across Kenya to use their platforms to encourage faithful to register and contribute to the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the success of the government’s universal healthcare plan depends on public participation.PS Oluga made the appeal on Friday when he presided over the 37th Graduation Ceremony of Sister Leonella and Consolata Medical College in Nyeri, at the invitation of the College’s Board Chairman and Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Antony Muheria.“We urge the Church to use its influence and every Sunday service to remind congregants to register and contribute to the Social Health Authority,” Oluga said.“Access to quality healthcare is a shared responsibility, and universal coverage will only be achieved when every Kenyan plays their part.”The PS said President William Ruto’s administration is determined to deliver healthcare that is both accessible and affordable to all Kenyans under the SHA.Oluga said the Ministry is now focusing on increasing active contributions, particularly from workers in the informal sector, to guarantee the sustainability of the scheme.Turning to the new graduates, PS Oluga urged them to uphold professionalism and empathy as they begin their careers in healthcare.“Be the kind of health professional you would wish to treat you if you were the patient.Let compassion, discipline, and integrity guide your service,”he told the graduands.The Social Health Authority (SHA) has registered more than 27 million Kenyans, a major milestone in the government’s efforts to reform the country’s healthcare system.Last week,Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the figures , noting that all 27,007,879 registered members now have access to Free Primary Health Care under the new scheme.The achievement comes less than a year after the SHA replaced the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as part of Kenya’s universal health coverage (UHC) agenda.Established on October 1, 2024, under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, the SHA manages three key funds the Primary Healthcare Fund, which supports preventive and community-level services; the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which covers inpatient and outpatient care; and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, designed to protect families from catastrophic health expenses.Unlike its predecessor, the SHA aims to enhance equity, transparency, and accountability in healthcare financing. Formal-sector employees contribute 2.75 percent of their gross monthly income, while contributions from informal-sector workers are determined through income-based assessments. The government also supplements the scheme through national and county allocations to bolster service delivery across public health facilities.Even as registration surges, the transition from NHIF to SHA has faced implementation challenges, including delays in reimbursements to health facilities, limited infrastructure to support digital registration, and confusion among some members about their benefits and entitlements.