Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has emphasized that it is crucial for Turkana residents to be registered for Taifa Care.

In a statement, Mwaura said that the residents receive government relief food because those facing hunger and starvation are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.

“This increases their vulnerability to illness, which could lead to hospital visits without health insurance,” he said.

According to Mwaura, only 110,000 out of 1.2 million residents in Turkana have registered for SHA.

“The government is committed to ensuring that all Kenyans benefit from Universal Health Coverage, a key pillar of THE BETA PLAN,” he added.

This comes after Turkana Central Deputy County Commissioner Thomas Siele said that locals not registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA) program will not receive relief food. 

Speaking on the relief food distribution exercise on Tuesday, March 25, Siele stated that about 600 bags of food had been secured for distribution.  

However, the deputy county commissioner emphasized that registration for SHA was a prerequisite for receiving assistance.

“We recently got about 600 bags of food which we will start distributing. The condition is that before you come and get the relief food from the area chief, you must register for the Social Health Authority (SHA) program,” he said.

While acknowledging that SHA registration is voluntary, Siele explained that the move aims to ensure that all residents have access to medical care when needed.

“This is because we want to make sure that everyone is registered on SHA. We don’t want to feed people who, when they later fall sick, they don’t have the means of getting medical attention. Register for SHA; it is voluntary but it helps,” he added.