CS Duale outlines strategic pillars for Taifa Care success rollout

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has chaired a high-level meeting with the Social Health Authority (SHA) Board and Management as part of government efforts to fast-track the rollout of Taifa Care.

In a statement on his social media, Duale called for transparent, people-centred governance and stronger systems to boost public trust in the new health scheme.

“We must strengthen fraud detection, enhance provider oversight, and improve performance tracking,” Duale said.

He further outlined three key strategic priorities that will guide the success of Taifa Care, these include: strict compliance with the 5 per cent cap on administrative costs, implementation of robust audit systems to uphold integrity and visionary leadership to steer the institution's long-term growth.

Duale also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting public funds, stating that every shilling allocated for the health and dignity of Kenyans must be accounted for.

“Timely payment of claims and sustainable revenue generation are key to making Taifa Care effective and reliable,” Duale noted.

The CS was hosted by SHA Board Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Mercy Mwangangi.

He was accompanied by the Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth.

Taifa Care is Kenya’s healthcare financing model, launched under the SHA on October 1, 2024.

It was introduced to replace the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and is part of the government’s push to improve healthcare access for all citizens.

The programme is structured around a three-tiered system.

It includes a tax-funded Primary Healthcare Fund for basic health services, an emergency, critical and chronic Illnesses fund for serious medical conditions and a contributory Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to support general medical needs.

Taifa Care is a flagship initiative under Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

It aims to ensure that all Kenyans can access affordable, quality and timely healthcare regardless of their income level.