Rana Auto Selection Limited Chief Executive Officer Sultan Rana with the Social Health Authority (SHA) team led by Kisumu's SHA Registration Compliance Officer Philip Odaga during registration exercise for the less fortunate and needy people from Alwala sub-location, West Seme Ward in Kisumu County on Wednesday. A total of 500 people from 100 households were registered with their SHA fully paid for a year by the company, which will enable them to access medication in health facilities. Photo by Odhiambo Odhiambo 
By Odhiambo Odhiambo
When 43-year-old Alice Gitechi rushed her 16-year-old daughter to Kisumu County Referral Hospital in severe pain, doctors first suspected ulcers but later recommended a kidney test. Unfortunately, Alice couldn’t afford it.
Though she had registered for the new Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, her account wasn’t active.
“It was heartbreaking,” she recalled. “I thought SHA would help us, but in that moment, I felt helpless.”
Alice’s struggle mirrors the reality for many families in rural Kenya, where access to affordable healthcare remains a daily challenge. But a new initiative is offering hope.
Alice is now among 500 residents of Seme Constituency who will enjoy free medical cover for a year, courtesy of Rana Auto Selection Limited, Kisumu. The company has fully paid for their SHA contributions.
“This isn’t just charity,” said Sultan Rana, the company’s Chief Executive Officer. “We believe everyone deserves healthcare, regardless of their income.”
SHA, which replaced the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), was designed to make healthcare more equitable and affordable. Contributions are based on income, and the scheme covers a wide range of services including outpatient and inpatient care, maternity, chronic illnesses, and emergencies.
According to SHA officials, the goal is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. “We’ve already enrolled about half of Kisumu’s residents,” an official confirmed.
For Alice and hundreds like her, the support marks not just financial relief, but renewed hope for healthier, more secure lives.
