By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, August 25, 2026 - President William Ruto has said 465,000 residents of Narok County have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), urging those who have not enrolled to do so to enable the government to plan healthcare services more effectively.
Speaking in Narok during the commissioning of the Ololunga–Ewaso Ng'iro Road and the opening of the Ololung’a Open Market, Ruto said the number of registered residents gives the government a clearer basis for planning the distribution of medicines, doctors and medical equipment across the county.
“Already, 465,000 residents of Narok County have registered with SHA. I am asking those who have not registered to do so quickly.”
The President said registration was important because the government needed accurate information on the population requiring healthcare services.
“When you register, you give us the ability to plan medicines, plan doctors and plan the equipment needed to treat you.”
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that Kenyans could access treatment without having to pay directly at health facilities, with the government-funded SHA scheme covering the cost.
“So that every citizen, when they go to hospital, can be treated and go home without having to pay money, because the cost of treatment will be paid through the government's SHA insurance.”
The President's remarks come as the government continues to push for increased registration under SHA, which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as the country's main public health insurance scheme.
Ruto used the Narok gathering to urge political leaders to focus on development and service delivery rather than ethnic mobilisation.
He warned against leaders who he said were promoting tribalism, hatred and political division, noting Narok's history of ethnic tensions.
“We have all communities and all tribes here, and we must protect them. We do not want anyone's tribe to be attacked. We must live in peace.”
The President recalled the violence witnessed in Narok during the 2022 election period and urged residents to reject attempts to revive ethnic divisions.
“We have a bad history in Narok County. In 2022, many people were hurt. If people come with those politics, they should understand that we do not want tribalism.”
More from Kenya
Ruto also defended his administration's development agenda, saying the government would continue investing in education, housing, roads and businesses.
“We will continue with education. We will continue with housing. We will build businesses.”
The President challenged residents to judge leaders according to their record rather than their ethnicity or political affiliations.
“When you go to choose a leader, are you choosing performance or appearance? Are you choosing work or tribalism, hatred and division?”
He urged voters to assess what individual leaders had delivered before deciding whom to support.
“You should choose a person based on their work.”
The President's visit to Narok also focused on infrastructure, with the commissioning of the Ololunga–Ewaso Ng'iro road expected to improve connectivity and support economic activity in the area.
The road project forms part of the government's wider infrastructure programme aimed at opening up rural areas and improving movement of people and goods.
For Narok residents, however, the President's SHA message was equally significant, with the government seeking to increase registration as it plans healthcare services around the number of people covered.
With 465,000 Narok residents already registered, Ruto's appeal is now for the remaining population to enrol, arguing that wider registration will give the government a stronger basis for planning healthcare services and ensuring SHA can meet the county's needs.