President William Ruto has announced that Kenyans will no longer be required to pay for outpatient services at SHA-accredited health facilities across the country.
Speaking at State House while signing the Finance Bill 2026 into law, the President said outpatient services should be offered free of charge at dispensaries, health centres, and sub-county health facilities in all SHA-accredited public, private, and faith-based hospitals.
Ruto emphasized that access to healthcare is a constitutional right and warned health facilities against charging patients for outpatient services.
“No Kenyan should pay for outpatient services at dispensaries, health centres, and sub-county health facilities in any SHA-accredited public, private, or faith-based hospitals,” the President said.
He further revealed that the Government is considering legal measures to ensure compliance, including criminalizing the practice of charging citizens for outpatient services covered under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
“To any facility in Kenya that charges any citizen when they go for outpatient service, we will shortly make it criminal for anybody to charge any citizen because the Constitution mandates the Government to provide the highest possible healthcare to every citizen,” he added.
The directive is expected to enhance access to primary healthcare services and ease the financial burden on millions of Kenyans seeking treatment across the country.
