CS Duale Leads Strategic Health Engagements to Advance Taifa Care in Tharaka Nithi
Tharaka Nithi County, - Capping his health sector tour of Tharaka Nithi County, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, alongside Governor H.E. Muthomi Njuki, presided over two high-level consultative engagements aimed at accelerating the implementation of Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda under the Taifa Care model.
The first engagement brought together in-charges of public and private health facilities for a strategic consultative meeting to address emerging operational and policy issues affecting service delivery in the county. Discussions focused on the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the continued digitalisation of health services, with particular emphasis on claims processing, facility accreditation, and reimbursement systems.
Detailed presentations by the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Digital Health Agency (DHA) highlighted key financial, operational, and regulatory challenges, while outlining targeted reforms to strengthen system integration, improve data integrity, and ensure timely payments to healthcare providers. Participants agreed on practical, time-bound actions to enhance efficiency, accountability, and the overall quality of care.
The second engagement convened a broader consultative forum involving Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs), private healthcare providers, and teachers’ unions—KNUT and KUPPET—to deliberate on the restructured teachers’ medical scheme.
The forum provided clarity on the Mwalimu Comprehensive Medical Cover, which took effect on and represents a major shift in healthcare access for more than 400,000 teachers nationwide. Administered by the SHA, the scheme significantly expands provider choice, increasing the network from about 800 MINET-accredited facilities to over 9,000 public, faith-based, and private health facilities across the country.
Participants were guided through the benefits under both the SHA Bedrock Cover and the Mwalimu Comprehensive Medical Cover, with emphasis on how the two packages complement each other to deliver comprehensive, continuous, and affordable care. Discussions also highlighted the critical role of FBOs and private providers in supporting public facilities and strengthening community-level service delivery.
The engagements reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to close collaboration with counties and health-sector stakeholders to strengthen primary healthcare, improve system performance, and expand equitable access to quality services, in line with Kenya’s flagship UHC reforms and the Taifa Care model.