President Ruto says SHA's benefits package will be expanded to include free diapers for new mothers by October 30, as part of a wider review to cover more medical conditions.
President William Ruto has announced that the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package will be expanded to cover more ailments and medical conditions, with free diapers for new mothers set to be included by October 30.
Speaking Tuesday, August 18, at the Kenya Health Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Ruto said the ongoing SHA review would progressively widen the scope of healthcare coverage available to Kenyans.
The President said the diaper benefit fulfills a pledge made in the government's manifesto and will be rolled into the reviewed SHA package within the coming months. "Our commitment for diapers is going to be included in the package which we are saying is being reviewed. By October 30, the benefit package will now include the diapers, as we consider the lotions needed and all the other outstanding agendas," Ruto said.
It is not the first time the President has made this promise. The diaper pledge dates back to the 2022 campaign and has been repeated on several occasions since, including during the launch of the Kenya Kwanza Women's Charter, without being implemented.
This latest announcement comes with a specific date attached, positioning it as one of several outstanding first-term commitments the administration says it intends to close out.
Diapers remain a significant expense for households in the weeks and months following childbirth, alongside postnatal check-ups, medication, and nutritional needs. Bringing diapers under SHA cover would extend the financial protection mothers already receive through delivery care and family coverage under the scheme, known as Linda Jamii.
Ruto did not specify the types or quantities of diapers to be covered, or the process mothers would follow to access the benefit once it takes effect.
The Health Summit also saw Ruto direct that more than 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) be formally incorporated into SHA. Their stipend arrangement is expected to be reviewed by December 2026.
Separately, SHA has made it mandatory for contracted healthcare providers to use accredited Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) for the 2026/28 contracting cycle. Providers must now hold a certified HMIS meeting technical integration standards set by SHA and the Digital Health Agency.
The announcements form part of a broader push by the government to expand SHA's reach, with authorities reporting over 32 million Kenyans now registered under the scheme.