The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, has welcomed newly recruited officers to the Social Health Authority (SHA), a move aimed at bolstering the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

• SHA has already collected Ksh 142.8 billion, transitioned 29.8 million Kenyans, and paid Ksh 109 billion in claims, despite operating with limited staff.
• Key figures involved include CS Aden Duale, SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, and SHA Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed.
• The newly recruited officers are tasked with scaling up revenue collection, ensuring employer onboarding, strengthening claims management, and improving administrative efficiency.

The Social Health Authority (SHA) is urging all Kenyan employees to verify timely remittance of their monthly health insurance deductions by employers. The authority emphasizes that employers are legally required to submit these contributions by the ninth day of the following month.

• Employers must remit deductions by the 9th day of the subsequent month after salaries are paid.
• The Social Health Authority (SHA) issued the directive.
• Employees can confirm their status via the Afyayangu portal, mobile app, or by dialing *147#.

Senior Economic Advisor David Ndii asserts that the government-to-government (G-to-G) petroleum deal was crucial in preventing the Kenyan Shilling from depreciating to Ksh180 against the U.S. Dollar.

• The G-to-G arrangement, implemented in 2023, significantly reduced the demand for U.S. dollars to finance fuel imports, thereby easing pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves.
• A critical factor was avoiding a potential default on the Ksh320 billion Eurobond that matured in June 2024.
• David Ndii, President's Chief Economic Advisor, highlighted that without this deal, the Shilling would have fallen dramatically, potentially leading to default.