Ruto’s health town hall: A system that works, but for whom?

President William Ruto led the country in a town hall on Tuesday night, a capstone to the first day of the Kenya Health Summit, which ended yesterday.

It was the first event of its kind in the country, and citizens expected the president to answer questions about the health system.

Before the event, the moderator opened by outlining the promises made by the Kenya Kwanza government, giving a snapshot of its scorecard and inviting candid discussion on the state of healthcare.

The move away from the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) took centre stage, with President Ruto saying the Social Health Authority (SHA) has delivered and that it works.

In his opening remarks, the president said he had promised to create a health system that works for every Kenyan.

“We have a system that works,” he said.

Our analysis shows that two years after the president took office, intern doctors staged a 56‑day strike over delayed appointment letters after graduation. They also demanded implementation of the 2017 collective bargaining agreement and comprehensive cover. Services were disrupted, and patients missed out on quality care.

Clinical officers and Universal Health Workers also carried out a series of industrial actions.