Kenya’s ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has moved to defend President William Ruto’s healthcare reforms, arguing that the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Linda Jamii programmes far outstrip the performance of schemes launched under former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
In a statement issued on Friday, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan described comparisons between the one-year-old SHA and the 57-year-old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as “misleading,” insisting that SHA’s reach and inclusivity were far broader.
According to the party, NHIF was largely restricted to salaried employees or those able to make monthly contributions, while SHA is designed to be universal.
The party also drew sharp contrasts between Linda Jamii, the new maternal and family health programme, and the earlier Linda Mama scheme. While Linda Mama covered mothers only, UDA said Linda Jamii extends maternity care to entire households, including spouses and children.
It further covers antenatal, delivery, postnatal services, intensive care for mothers and newborns, and complications — areas that Linda Mama did not provide for.
Rates under Linda Jamii are also significantly higher, with normal delivery capped at KSh10,000 compared with Linda Mama’s KSh5,000, and caesarean sections covered up to KSh34,200. The party argues that these figures reflect the true cost of quality care, a step towards reducing the burden of hidden medical expenses on families.
Beyond health, UDA sought to highlight the challenges it inherited in infrastructure. The party claims the Jubilee administration left behind a KSh1.1 trillion roads bill, much of it in stalled projects. By contrast, the Kenya Kwanza government says it is funding new roadworks through locally mobilised resources, avoiding further debt.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta launched a sharp critique of the Kenya Kwanza administration, accusing it of pursuing “untested and untried experiments” that he claims are undermining gains made under his government.
Speaking at the Jubilee Party National Delegates Conference in Nairobi on Friday, Uhuru singled out social protection programmes, arguing that flagship initiatives such as the Linda Mama health cover had been replaced by schemes that have yet to prove effective.
“The result is that while Kenyans wait for these experiments to work, they suffer and our progress is dragged back,” he told delegates. Uhuru’s intervention is likely to sharpen political divisions at a time when President William Ruto’s government is facing mounting criticism over the high cost of living and contested economic reforms.
The former head of state further reflected on his warnings to voters ahead of the 2022 election, suggesting that some of the “myths” promoted during the campaign had since become “nightmares” for ordinary citizens.
