President William Ruto during the 95th St John Ambulance Annual Parade and Inspection at State House, Nairobi on June 21, 2026 / PCS
President William Ruto has announced that all accident victims in Kenya will have the cost of their first 24 hours of emergency treatment covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA), regardless of whether they are registered under the health scheme.
The President said the government had established an Emergency Critical Care Fund under SHA to ensure that victims receive immediate medical attention without being subjected to financial barriers that have in the past contributed to preventable deaths.
"Henceforth, whenever an accident victim arrives at a hospital, the cost of the first 24 hours of emergency care will be covered by SHA for everyone, whether they are registered or not," Ruto said.
The President noted that the intervention is part of the government's broader Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme, which is currently being implemented across the country.
According to Ruto, many Kenyans have lost their lives because of delays in accessing emergency treatment, often after being asked to pay deposits or prove their ability to settle medical bills before receiving care.
"Many accident victims, upon arriving at hospital, were asked who would pay the bill. In some cases, they were asked to provide a deposit before receiving treatment. As a government, we resolved to address this challenge, which had led to many preventable deaths," he said.
The President added that the moments immediately following an accident are often critical and can determine whether a patient survives.
"People often die within the first few minutes after an accident or when they reach hospital and are not attended to immediately," he said.
Ruto also revealed that the government is strengthening the country's emergency response system, which, once fully operational, is expected to coordinate approximately 100,000 emergency evacuations annually.
He said all Kenyans requiring emergency evacuation services through the system will receive them free of charge, a move aimed at improving access to life-saving interventions and reducing fatalities arising from accidents and medical emergencies.
The President said that the latest measures form part of the government's efforts to strengthen emergency healthcare services and advance the realisation of Universal Health Coverage by ensuring that no Kenyan is denied urgent medical care because of inability to pay.
President Ruto spoke on Sunday during the 95th St John Ambulance Annual Parade and Inspection at State House, Nairobi.
Ruto reaffirmed the government's commitment to support St John Ambulance Kenya by allocating it land in Nairobi's Upper Hill area and contributing Sh200 million towards the construction of a new headquarters.
He announced that the organisation can collect its title deed from the Ministry of Lands starting Monday, fulfilling a pledge he had previously made.
"Today, I reaffirm the government of Kenya's commitment that we will give you land at Upper Hill. I made that commitment, and tomorrow (Monday), you can collect your title from the Ministry of Lands," Ruto said.
The President said the government had finalised arrangements to provide St John Ambulance Kenya with a one-acre parcel of land in Upper Hill, paving the way for the development of a modern headquarters.
