Cancer patients across the country who are under medication have a reason to smile.
This is after President William Ruto announced a review of their benefits package under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The package had been set at Ksh550,000.
However, President Ruto announced that it has been enhanced starting December 1, 2025.
“SHA will enhance the Cancer Benefits Package from the current Ksh 550,000 to Ksh 800,000, effective December 1, 2025,” Ruto said in his State of the Nation address.
“This enhancement responds to the rising cost of sustained cancer care and ensures that patients can access quality, uninterrupted treatment without facing financial hardship,” he added.
The announcement comes just days after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced plan to review the SHA’s oncology packages.
He said the review of the packages was based on feedback from kenyans.
How many Kenyans have registered in SHA?
Meanwhile, the President revealed that to date, over 27 million Kenyans have registered in SHA.
Additionally, Ruto said more than 10,000 health facilities across the country have signed in to serve under this new system.
He also highlighted some of the efforts the government is taking to enhance the health centre.
It includes ongoing modernising of hospital equipment through the National Equipment Service Project, replacing the old MES model that burdened counties with heavy upfront costs.
“Under the new Fee-for-Service system, private partners install, maintain, and run state-of-the-art equipment, and public facilities pay only when they use them,” the Head of State explained.
“We have overhauled KEMSA to end the chronic crisis of drug shortages, raising medicine availability from 48% today to a projected 90% by the end of this year, and to 100% by March 2026,” he added.
