This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On October 24, 2019, the Kenyan government announced plans to introduce a new health financing scheme to cater for the unemployed population in the country.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, the scheme aims to provide access to medical care for the 75% of the Kenyan population who are unemployed.
The announcement comes amid plans by the state to address bottlenecks currently stalking the National Health Insurance Fund.
The new scheme is part of the government's efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which is currently being piloted in four counties and is set to be rolled out nationwide.
UHC is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big 4 Agenda and aims to adopt a Primary Health Care approach that will entail scaling up immunization services, Maternal and Child Health Services, and family planning services.
The government will be forced to dig deeper into its accounts to finance the scheme, which will provide medical services at zero cost to the unemployed population.
In November 2018, the Ministry of Health introduced UHC Cards that would enable Kenyans in the pilot counties to access quality and timely public healthcare services before the official launch of UHC Pilot Program in 4 counties in December 2018.
