President William Ruto has warned government health facilities, particularly Level 4 hospitals, that are still charging Kenyans for outpatient services, saying such actions are illegal and will attract swift action from the government.

Speaking at State House Nairobi on Monday, August 4, Ruto singled out public dispensaries, health centres, and Level 4 hospitals that continue to demand payment for outpatient services, despite funding from the government under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.

“I am sending a warning to facilities in our counties that still charge citizens in our dispensaries, health centres, and level four facilities for outpatient services. Those few who are still charging Kenyans in these government-paid facilities will have themselves to blame, because we will go after them,” the president said.

The President stressed that these services are already covered by the government and should not burden Kenyans with additional costs.

Reaffirming the government's dedication to achieving UHC, Ruto noted that the government had made substantial budgetary allocations to ensure access to primary healthcare and emergencies is free and effective.

“The MPs know. They've passed Ksh13 billion to treat Kenyans through Primary Health Care. We've set aside Ksh8 billion for emergencies,” he said.

“As I speak here today, I want to speak to the entire nation. We have set aside Ksh21 billion for healthcare in the country. That is the commitment I made and I am sticking to it,” he added.

Ruto also encouraged Kenyans to report any government facility that continues to charge fees for outpatient visits, despite the services being publicly funded.

His remarks come amid growing complaints from citizens who continue to incur out-of-pocket expenses for outpatient care, even when they are registered members of the Social Health Authority (SHA), which has been operational for over 10 months.

According to government estimates, as of August 2025, more than 25 million Kenyans have been enrolled in the SHA programme, with over 10,000 public, private, and faith-based facilities already contracted to provide services under the scheme.

In efforts to improve accountability and prevent abuse of the system, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that the government will no longer use One-Time Password (OTP) authorisations for accessing services under SHA.

Approvals will instead be completed using biometric health IDs or the Practice 360 app. Duale added that biometric registration is now available in all Level 4, 5, and 6 hospitals across the country, as part of efforts to streamline operations and eliminate fraud.