The Makueni County Government has officially launched a four-day mass registration drive for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), targeting more than 200,000 residents across all clusters in the county.
The exercise, unveiled on Tuesday by County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Joyce Mutua, seeks to cushion vulnerable households from the burden of high medical costs by enrolling them into the new national health financing framework.
The county-wide registration, running from Tuesday through Friday, will be implemented in phases to ensure maximum coverage of eligible beneficiaries. Officials say the initiative is part of a broader push to strengthen access to affordable and quality healthcare services at the grassroots.
SHA and SHIF Registration Integrated
According to Mutua, the exercise goes beyond ordinary UHC registration. It also incorporates mass enrolment into the Social Health Authority (SHA) through the Afya Yangu digital platform, updating of dependant records, identification of vulnerable households for support under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and proxy means testing.
Residents have been urged to present their national identification cards, mobile phones, and birth certificates for children to facilitate seamless registration.
“This is a critical step towards ensuring that no resident is left behind in accessing healthcare services,” Mutua said during the launch, calling on wananchi to turn out in large numbers.
Shielding Families from Out-of-Pocket Costs
Chief Officer for Health Human Resource and Management Dr. Harvey Mulei underscored the financial strain that healthcare places on families, noting that sustainable healthcare financing remains one of the biggest challenges facing counties.
He reaffirmed the county’s commitment to protecting households from catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenses by strengthening enrolment into the national insurance scheme.
“Healthcare financing is costly, but as a county government, we are determined to ensure our residents access quality and affordable services without being pushed into poverty due to medical bills,” said Dr. Mulei.
Hundreds Turn Up at Launch
Mutua, accompanied by Acting Chief Officer for Health Services Irene Makau, later toured Bosnia Dispensary where they interacted with residents. Hundreds of locals had already turned up to take advantage of the exercise, signaling strong public interest in the programme.
The registration drive marks a significant milestone in Makueni’s ongoing health reforms and aligns with Kenya’s broader Universal Health Coverage agenda aimed at guaranteeing equitable access to essential health services.
