Orengo commends SHA rollout, seeks closer collaboration with Ruto

Siaya Governor James Orengo has voiced his support for the government’s Social Health Authority (SHA), commending its positive impact on healthcare delivery in his county.

The governor made his remarks while leading a delegation of leaders and professionals from Siaya County to State House in Nairobi on Thursday, where they met with President William Ruto to discuss development priorities for the residents of Siaya.

Orengo noted that the implementation of the national health insurance scheme under SHA by the Kenya Kwanza administration is beginning to yield tangible benefits for the people of Siaya County.

“The interesting story is in terms of the claims. Under SHA, total claims raised so far is Ksh. 281 Million, and amount paid is Ksh. 180 million in Siaya County. What is pending is only Ksh.101 million. So, SHA is a good story, I must say. It has also improved our own source of revenue quite significantly,” Orengo stated.

The county chief, who is also a distinguished senior counsel, indicated that despite initial reservations about the scheme, Kenyans, including his constituents, are gradually embracing it due to its advantages. He highlighted that his constituents are increasingly enrolling in Taifa Care, as shown by the rising number of participants in the programme.

“Out of 175 facilities in Siaya County, we have registered 163 facilities. Out of a population of about 900,000 to a million, the people who have registered for SHA now is 335,000. Its just under 50%, we are not in the big league, not amongst the top, but you can understand, you know what happened initially, you know what I mean,” he explained.

SHA is one of the flagship reforms of the Ruto administration, aimed at expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Kenyans.

The governor expressed his commitment to collaborating closely with President Ruto and his administration in key sectors that directly impact livelihoods in Siaya, including agriculture, the blue economy, and health.

“Siaya used to grow coffee and we were very happy to receive your Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives Wycliffe Oparanya who came and had a session with our farmers. We used to have farmers in Siaya called BETA farmers who used to do Robusta Coffee, but issues of marketing and brokerage brought coffee farming to an end, it collapsed. But coffee was being done in Siaya, cotton as well and it collapsed,” he said.

“Agriculture and blue economy have a major role to play in transformation of Siaya County and therefore we will work this journey with you to make sure that that objective is attained,” he pledged.

He urged the President to consider initiating targeted development projects in these two sectors, which he believes have significant potential to uplift communities and drive sustainable growth in the county.

President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive development, promising to initiate investments in Siaya under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).