The Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, has said that selling one goat, especially for the pastoralist communities in the country, can cater to up to four wives and an unlimited number of children in the Social Health Authority (SHA) for one year.
Speaking in Marsabit County, on Sunday, April 27, the CS said that, unlike NHIF, which he says only allowed one wife and four children, one can onboard the individuals provided that they can prove their dependency.
"All your children, even if it's twenty children, SHA will pay, and you can also register up to four wives; before, the NHIF could only cover for only one wife and four children," he said.
"I'm very sure that if you sacrifice and sell one goat and pay for your SHA for one year, I can guarantee that you will see the fruits, and whenever you need medical attention, there will be no need for a Harambee," he added.
Duale has further said that the government is expected to launch a campaign in the northeastern part of the country, a region he claims has lagged in the registration of SHA, and sensitise people to register for the health scheme.
"I have noticed that the pastoralist communities, especially Garissa, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, and Tana, are still low in the registration of SHA," he said.
"I want to assure you that I will come with people from SHA and the Digital Health Authority so that we may start a plan to ensure that our people are registered," he added.
The announcements come almost a year after the Social Health Insurance Fund, through a fact sheet provided by SHA on June 30, 2024, scrapped the limit on dependents for polygamous families.
According to the authority, one can register all their dependents without limit, provided that they provide for them financially.
Additionally, the authority further said that polygamous families will not be required to make an extra contribution for each wife.
“There’s no limit to how many children you can include as long as you take care of them financially,” it stated.
As of today, the medical scheme has registered a total of 21.7 million Kenyans and has also contracted more than 8,000 facilities nationwide, according to the CS.
"Since today, this morning, 21.7 million Kenyans have registered for SHA, and each day, 40 to 60 thousand Kenyans are registering for SHA using the online platform," he said.
In a statement on Saturday, April 26, Duale also clarified that teachers and their dependents are eligible for SHA and can access medical care under the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF).
